Dr Davies replaced Dr Peter Jensen who held the post for 12 years. For much of Archbishop Jensen's tenure, Dr Davies served with him as the Bishop of North Sydney.
The other nominee for the post was Canon Rick Smith, the rector of Naremburn/Cammeray, a large church on Sydney's Lower North Shore.
The final vote came after a complicated process of elimination ballots involving both houses of Synod - clergy and laity (lay people).
During an earlier elimination stage, a mix-up in vote counting made it seem as though Canon Smith had progressed through to the second round of voting. Between the sessions, there was an exhaustive recount which showed he had failed to gain the required majority in both houses.
The election then moved to the final stage and Dr Davies was elected.
In a surprise move, Canon Smith appeared on the Synod floor and was given leave to move a motion proposing Bishop Davies name be moved to the 'final list', the last stage of the electoral process. Canon Smith was given a standing ovation by the Synod delegates. He also led the group in prayer for Dr Davies in his new role.
Both men have stressed their friendship and close working relationship in the church.
Bishop Davies is an experienced leader, overseeing a large region of Sydney parishes and multi-cultural ministries as well as roles in the Australian church and internationally.
The Bishop of Singapore, the Right Reverend Rennis Ponniah, gave the Synod Bible study, saying it was a privilege to be present on what he described as 'a significant and moving night' for the Diocese of Sydney. "We trust in God. So, rest in God's faithfulness and go forward to contend for the Gospel." Bishop Ponniah said.
After the vote was announced, the Archbishop-elect entered the synod venue with his wife Dianne, to sustained applause and a standing ovation.
He thanked Synod for the vote, which was carried on the hands overwhelmingly, without dissent in either house. He then read from a New Testament given to him at his ordination by Sir Marcus Loane in 1981.
Dr Davies will be officially inaugurated as Archbishop at St Andrew's Cathedral on Friday, August 23rd.
Biography
Glenn Naunton Davies is the 12th Archbishop of Sydney. Born in 1950, he grew up on Sydney's Northern Beaches and was educated at Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore). After gaining a Bachelor of Science from Sydney University, he worked as a mathematics teacher. He was actively involved in Christian ministry since coming to faith during his high school years. He was involved in youth and then campus ministry, before making a decision to enter the ministry full time.
He studied at Moore Theological College (DipA) and Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv and ThM, with a thesis on New Covenant Worship) and was ordained by the then Archbishop of Sydney, Sir Marcus Loane, in 1981. He gained a PhD from Sheffield University in 1988.
Dr Davies served in parishes in Sydney including Willoughby and Miranda, and was lecturer in both Old and New Testament and later also registrar of Moore College (1983 - 1995). He was appointed Bishop of North Sydney by Peter Jensen in 2001, a position he held for 12 years before being elected Archbishop of Sydney in August, 2013. During his time in the Northern Region, Dr Davies had episcopal oversight of 64 parishes and emerging multicultural ministries.
His passion for education led to his appointment as the founding chairman of the Anglican Education Commission, and he has also been chair of Anglican Youthworks, and a member of the council of Moore Theological College, the Australian College of Theology and Robert Menzies College at Macquarie University.
In the National Church, Dr Davies has been a member of General Synod since 1996, on its Standing Committee since 2007, also holding a position on the General Synod Doctrine Commission since 1993 and has been Canon Theologian in the Diocese of Ballarat since 2000. For 10 years until 2012, Dr Davies was also the Chair of
EFAC (Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion) Australia.
Internationally, Dr Davies has played a role in both the Lausanne Consultation on Evangelisation (Board member since 2011 and speaker at international conferences) and the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Dr Davies was a member of the writing group that produced the Jerusalem Declaration at the landmark GAFCON 2008 in Jerusalem and the communiqué from the 2012 London Leadership Conference.
He is an engaging platform speaker and media communicator whose views on the church, education and youth, as well as faith and society have been sought by newspapers, radio and television. He has written biblical commentaries, topical articles and contributions to theological journals.
Dr Davies has been married to Dianne since 1979 and they have two adult children and three grandchildren. He enjoys movies, board games, walking and swimming.