In an evening marked by joy and laughter and some emotional moments, the Archbishop of Canterbury bid goodbye to nearly 100 members of the Compass Rose Society at Lambeth Palace on 9 October in London.

Dr Carey reflected on his 11 and half years as Archbishop of Canterbury and said that it had been his pleasure and privilege to serve in that position but his time had been marked by many "joys and sadnesses." Among the events that have shaped the life of the world he cited the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of Communism, the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo and the terrorist attacks of September 11. "We certainly live in a dangerous and unsafe world," Dr Carey said.

In terms of the life of the church in the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop said that his trips throughout 90 countries had made him more aware of the great disparities in resources among nations and churches. "We in the West take many things for granted without realizing the plight of our brothers and sisters in the developing world," he said. Dr Carey mentioned Sudan and Rwanda as turning points in his life. "I never have seen so much misery, destruction and pain in my life," he said. "If I had not have been there, I would not have believed it."

Dr Carey also said that during his time he had to deal with the issue of the ordination of women and the considerable loss of millions of pounds in investments, both in the Church of England. He added that one of his most difficult tasks had been to maintain the unity of the church. "We need to understand that we are a broad church which needs to live with different points of view and different forms of mission," he said.

Dr Carey pointed out that one of the things which was made evident in his mission trips to the provinces was the lack of resources in many of them. "When I saw the tragedy of the Sudan, I said to some people, we need to do something and right away." He said that this was the beginning of the Anglican Investment Agency which has provided money for urgent human needs. He thanked the people who trust the church and are generous in their giving.

He reminded the Society that the debt burden of the poorest countries had become one of the most pressing issues of his time as Archbishop. Dr Carey reported that he has been able to forge a partnership with the President of the World Bank, James Wolfenson, and leaders of other faiths, to tackle issues of debt and development. Such a partnership between religions and world bankers would have been unthinkable a decade or so ago, he said.

The Archbishop confessed that at the beginning of his term he was hesitant to ask people for money, but that soon he learned that people were grateful when asked to help. The work of the Compass Rose Society has been tremendous, he said. The idea of the Society was conceived in October 1994 to provide much-needed financial support for the work of the Communion. At present is has 130 members mainly from western countries. The present plan is to expand its membership. The Society will help to raise an endowment of US$30 million in the next three years.

During dinner several members of the Society thanked the Archbishop for his leadership, vision and commitment. A word of thanks was also extended to Mrs. Carey for her gentleness and her devotion to the work of her husband. The Careys received several gifts including a carpet with the seal of the Anglican Communion made in China. He was also presented with a personal letter from the President of the United States, George W. Bush, for his pastoral support, his presence and prayers during the tragedy of 11 September.

The night ended with Compline at the Lambeth Palace Chapel, the place where Archbishop Thomas Cranmer composed the Book of Common Prayer.