YORK'S new Archbishop was warned of the challenges ahead as he formally took up his post in an ancient ceremony.

Dr John Sentamu, who fled Idi Amin's Uganda, became the Church of England's first black archbishop when he was confirmed as the 97th Archbishop of York.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who led the ceremony at St Mary-le-Bow Church in London with six senior bishops, said people would be looking to Dr Sentamu to "engage with the great public issues of the day" - and warned him that expectation lay "heavy on his shoulders".

Asked afterwards what he meant by the burdens Dr Sentamu faced, Dr Williams said: "John has the power of persuading us in the Church of England that change really is possible.

"We all of us are committed to that, but we need people whose experience... demonstrates that this can be done, that it is possible to enthuse people of all kinds and from all backgrounds, ethnic communities, or ages with the vision of the Kingdom.

"That's what we're hoping for."

Dr Sentamu said now was a time of "great opportunity and challenge for the Church of England".

He said: "The Christian Gospel has the power to transform people's lives and to transform our nation. We in the Church need to play our part in communicating that Gospel in both words and actions, and to speak out and work for justice."

In an address to the congregation, Dr Williams said the new archbishop would meet his challenges "first and foremost by being a man in touch with God". Dr Sentamu was "a man of flesh and blood", not just an "abstract figure of sanctity, resourcefulness and wisdom".

His own experiences would also help him fulfil his tasks.

Born and educated in Uganda, where he practised as a barrister and a judge, Dr Sentamu was an outspoken critic of Amin's regime, before coming to the UK in 1974. He trained as a priest in Cambridge and, after serving in London parishes, was appointed Bishop of Stepney in 1996 and Bishop of Birmingham in 2002.

The 56-year-old was advisor to the inquiry into the racist killing of Stephen Lawrence and chaired the Damilola Taylor review.

Dr Sentamu, who has called for reconciliation over the issues of gay priests and women bishops, said after the hour-long service: "We have to believe we can make a difference. We have to allow a lot of young people actually to have a little bit of experimenting with what it is to be a Christian and encourage them actually to join the faith."

He will be enthroned at York Minster on November 30.

Updated: 10:44 Thursday, October 06, 2005