By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 19:07 EST, 18 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:07 EST, 19 August 2013 . Lambeth Palace said Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby took part in live pheasant hunt in the 1980s . Striding along with a shotgun in hand, scouring the skies for a likely target … it is not exactly how one pictures the Archbishop of Canterbury. Well, until now. It has emerged that Justin Welby once went pheasant shooting. And, rather unfortunately, the revelation came the day after he turned down the role of RSPCA vice-patron. Dr Welby rejected the honorary post because he was too busy. But the decision to break with tradition by refusing the role is being seen in some circles as a snub. And details of the Anglican leader’s links with country sports will do little to endear him to animal lovers. Lambeth Palace has admitted Dr Welby ‘went on a live pheasant shoot on one occasion in the mid-1980s’, when he worked as an oil company executive. He was described as a ‘reasonable shot’ during the outing on an estate in Cambridgeshire. Dr Welby is also said to have been clay pigeon shooting on half a dozen occasions, most recently last year while visiting Texas for a meeting of the American House of Bishops. Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid, an animal rights group, said: ‘Welby should be honest about his past and make clear what he now thinks about the morality of shooting birds for sport.’ But Lambeth Palace insists it has no bearing on his RSPCA decision. Dr Welby’s four predecessors, including Rowan Williams and George Carey, all accepted honorary positions in the charity’s hierarchy. A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: ‘The Archbishop has received many kind invitations to patron a large variety of charities and good causes. Each invitation has been an honour, and in an ideal world he would like to accept them all. The Archbishop's predecessor Dr Rowan Williams (pictured) accepted the honorary role . Lambeth Palace said the Archbishop's links to countryside sports has no bearing on his decision (file picture) ‘However, in light of the sheer volume of requests the Archbishop receives, and the many pressures on his time and resources, he has reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage to a manageable number of organisations. 'The Archbishop has enormous admiration for the RSPCA and hopes to see its work thrive.’ A spokesman for the RSPCA said it respected Dr Welby’s decision, adding: ‘The position of vice-patron is not held by every Archbishop of Canterbury as a matter of course.’ However, the RSPCA has caused controversy recently. Critics accuse the charity of increasing ‘militancy’ by focusing on expensive political stunts and strong-arm tactics at the expense of its core mission to protect animals. Earlier this month an investigation for BBC Radio 4’s Face the Facts uncovered allegations that the organisation had lost its way and was too quick to take people to court. In the past five years, the RSPCA’s membership has slipped by 5,000 to 26,000 but annual donations remain at around £100 million.
Archbishop of Canterbury went on pheasant hunt during 1980s .
Comes after he turned down the role of RSPCA vice-patron .
Previous archbishops have taken on honorary position .
By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 19:07 EST, 18 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:07 EST, 19 August 2013 . Lambeth Palace said Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby took part in live pheasant hunt in the 1980s . Striding along with a shotgun in hand, scouring the skies for a likely target … it is not exactly how one pictures the Archbishop of Canterbury. Well, until now. It has emerged that Justin Welby once went pheasant shooting. And, rather unfortunately, the revelation came the day after he turned down the role of RSPCA vice-patron. Dr Welby rejected the honorary post because he was too busy. But the decision to break with tradition by refusing the role is being seen in some circles as a snub. And details of the Anglican leader’s links with country sports will do little to endear him to animal lovers. Lambeth Palace has admitted Dr Welby ‘went on a live pheasant shoot on one occasion in the mid-1980s’, when he worked as an oil company executive. He was described as a ‘reasonable shot’ during the outing on an estate in Cambridgeshire. Dr Welby is also said to have been clay pigeon shooting on half a dozen occasions, most recently last year while visiting Texas for a meeting of the American House of Bishops. Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid, an animal rights group, said: ‘Welby should be honest about his past and make clear what he now thinks about the morality of shooting birds for sport.’ But Lambeth Palace insists it has no bearing on his RSPCA decision. Dr Welby’s four predecessors, including Rowan Williams and George Carey, all accepted honorary positions in the charity’s hierarchy. A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: ‘The Archbishop has received many kind invitations to patron a large variety of charities and good causes. Each invitation has been an honour, and in an ideal world he would like to accept them all. The Archbishop's predecessor Dr Rowan Williams (pictured) accepted the honorary role . Lambeth Palace said the Archbishop's links to countryside sports has no bearing on his decision (file picture) ‘However, in light of the sheer volume of requests the Archbishop receives, and the many pressures on his time and resources, he has reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage to a manageable number of organisations. 'The Archbishop has enormous admiration for the RSPCA and hopes to see its work thrive.’ A spokesman for the RSPCA said it respected Dr Welby’s decision, adding: ‘The position of vice-patron is not held by every Archbishop of Canterbury as a matter of course.’ However, the RSPCA has caused controversy recently. Critics accuse the charity of increasing ‘militancy’ by focusing on expensive political stunts and strong-arm tactics at the expense of its core mission to protect animals. Earlier this month an investigation for BBC Radio 4’s Face the Facts uncovered allegations that the organisation had lost its way and was too quick to take people to court. In the past five years, the RSPCA’s membership has slipped by 5,000 to 26,000 but annual donations remain at around £100 million.
pheasant hunt in the 1980s . Striding along with pictures the Archbishop of Canterbury. Well, he turned down the role of RSPCA vice-patron. Dr