The Rt. Rev. Philip Wright, Bishop of Belize, has been elected as the 14th Archbishop and Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies, CPWI.
He was elected on November 10 by clergy and laity attending the 42nd Triennial Provincial Synod at the Breezes Resort, Cable Beach in Nassau, Bahamas. He succeeds the Most Rev. Dr. The Hon. Howard Gregory, who retired as Archbishop in December, 2024.
Bishop Wright, who is the senior Bishop in the Province, is the second primate from Belize following the Rt. Rev. Edward Arthur Dunn of British Honduras, who served as Archbishop from 1936 to 1943.
The newly-elected Archbishop trained for the ordained ministry at Codrington College, Barbados and graduated from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and a Diploma in Ministerial Studies. He was ordained a deacon in 1992 and a priest in 1993 at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Baptist in Belize City, and worked primarily in the pastoral ministry before earning a Master’s Degree in Theology (Mission Studies) from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
In October 2005, he was elected as the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of Belize. In addition to his Diocesan responsibilities, Archbishop Wright is also one of the Presidents of the World Council of Churches, representing the Caribbean and Latin America.
Speaking to the news media following his election, Archbishop Wright said he looked forward to moving the mission and ministry of the church forward. He identified the involvement of youth in the life and work of the church as one of the priorities to be addressed by the Province during his tenure.
