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Archbishop of Canterbury visits flood-ravaged Lismore in an 'uplifting' experience for locals of faith

As Ray Nickel waited at the front of his flood-ravaged house, his anxiety levels rose dramatically.

The ceremonial leader of his faith was moments from arriving.

Mr Nickel said a personal visit from the Archbishop of Canterbury in the wake of the catastrophic northern NSW floods was an "absolute privilege", even if it was a "little overwhelming."

The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, arrived amid an entourage of church priests and staff.

"He couldn't conceive of the damage that was explained to him by our rector," Mr Nickel said.

Mr Nickel's North Lismore home was inundated and most of his belongings were destroyed. Months later, the house remains stripped of internal walls.

"I was pleased to let him see what the situation was for not just myself, but [so] he would understand how it is for other people in this town, and how much devastation and loss there was," Mr Nickel said.

Later, they prayed together on the verandah.

Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury?

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the Anglican faith, which includes around 2.5 million Australians.

The Anglican Communion does not have a hierarchal structure like the Roman Catholic church, which is led by the pope. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury leads the oldest Anglican Diocese.

He recently gave a sermon at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth and will conduct the coronation of King Charles in May.

Why was he in Lismore?

Archbishop Welby is nearing the end of a two-week visit to Australia that has included Perth, Melbourne, and the Torres Strait Islands.

He said he particularly wanted to visit the Northern Rivers after hearing about the devastation of the floods.

Parts of England have had their own experiences with catastrophic flooding in recent years.

Archbishop Welby said he wanted to see what his church could learn from its Australian counterparts about supporting communities through a disaster.

He said he also wanted to show solidarity.

"There's a real sense of isolation when you're hit by natural disaster or war or something like that," Archbishop Welby said.

"There's a lot of news coverage in the first few months … and then the caravan moves on.

"So [the visit is] just to say, we haven't forgotten."

What did the archbishop learn?

Archbishop Welby said he had been shocked and disappointed by how many residents had struggled to find the assistance they needed to recover from the floods.

Difficulties in obtaining flood insurance and payouts were high on the list.

He called for organisations and all tiers of government to band together for a grassroots-led recovery.

"[You saw] that phenomenal communal spirit, and you just thought, 'Oh, come on, surely, you can bottle some of this and take a swig before you deal with the people here,'" he said.

"Start seeing what you can do, rather than reasons why you shouldn't do it … insurance particularly."

The archbishop also said the visit would have a "very significant effect" on his thinking about climate change — a topic he has long been passionate about.

He recounted the Archbishop of Polynesia once telling him, "For you guys in the west, this is a problem for the 30s and the 40s. For us, it's life and death today".

"You come here, and you realise it's not just Fiji. It's here [where] it's life and death today," Archbishop Welby said.

"So, it just sharpens your mind and your sense of priority."

What does it mean for locals of faith?

Mr Nickel said the visit had been an "uplifting" experience.

"Sharing some of the hurt and the pain that is still very much buried at the moment, I was able to talk about it with a faith-centred person," he said.

"It just helped me to be able to express myself without becoming disturbed by it, which has been the case previously in other conversations with other people."

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