Sarah Mullally becomes first ever female Archbishop of Canterbury 

The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, has been announced because the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury after a variety process lasting several months. 

She is the primary ever female Archbishop of Canterbury and prior to her appointment, had been the Bishop of London since 2018.

Commenting on her appointment, she said, “As I reply to the decision of Christ to this recent ministry, I achieve this in the identical spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first got here to faith as a youngster.

“At every stage of that journey, through my nursing profession and Christian ministry, I even have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to hunt to bring people together to seek out hope and healing.

“I need, very simply, to encourage the Church to proceed to grow in confidence within the Gospel, to talk of the love that we discover in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions.

“And I stay up for sharing this journey of religion with the hundreds of thousands of individuals serving God and their communities in parishes everywhere in the country and across the worldwide Anglican Communion.

“I do know this can be a huge responsibility but I approach it with a way of peace and trust in God to hold me as He at all times has.”

She was confirmed after a lengthy selection process led by the Crown Nominations Commission, a 20-member body that included the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, the second most senior figure within the Church of England. 

Lord Evans of Weardale, Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission, welcomed the news, saying, “It has been an amazing privilege to have chaired the Crown Nominations Commission because it sought to discern who God is asking to steer the Church of England and Anglican Communion as Archbishop of Canterbury. 

“That discernment began with the general public consultation, which heard the voices of hundreds of individuals as they expressed their hopes for this nomination, and continued throughout to the Commission’s final meeting. 

“I would love to thank all those that took part on this process, particularly those that took time to share their views within the consultation and the members of the Commission who worked so diligently over several months, ably assisted by the Appointments Secretaries and by the Appointments and Vocations team at Lambeth Palace. 

“I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this recent ministry in the approaching months.”

The Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, said her appointment was “a major moment for the Church of England, the Worldwide Anglican Communion and the Diocese of Canterbury”.

“Today we have now witnessed history within the making, the primary woman ever to be appointed to this role which has been in existence for over 1,400 years,” she said. 

The office of Archbishop of Canterbury had been vacant for a lot of months following the resignation of Mullally’s predecessor Justin Welby, who stepped down after the Makin report accused him of failing to report prolific abuse by the late John Smyth to police. He formally left the office in January. 

This was the primary time that each men and ladies were eligible for the position after the Church of England allowed female bishops in 2014.

Other leading female candidates had been the Bishop of Chelmsford, Guli Francis-Dehqani, and the Bishop of Gloucester Rachel Treweek. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury is a major appointment as in addition they act as spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, much of which takes a more conservative view on issues like sexuality and ordained women.

Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: “I welcome and commend the nomination of Bishop Sarah as the following Archbishop of Canterbury and invite the churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion to hope for her as she prepares to take up this vital ministry.

“May God grant her wisdom and discernment, as she seeks to take heed to Member churches, encourage mutual support, and foster unity.

“The Anglican Communion Office is fully committed to supporting her ministry as she works with other Provinces and the Instruments of the Anglican Communion.

“Let us pray that God will pour out His Spirit on the Anglican Communion to boldly share Christ’s transformational love and the hope of the Gospel in today’s world.” 

Mullally shall be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March 2026.

She assumes leadership of the Church of England at a time of deep divisions over recent moves to bless same-sex couples. This division extends to large parts of the Anglican Communion, particularly Global South provinces, lots of which rejected the leadership of Welby over same-sex blessings.

In a wide-ranging profession and ministry, Mulllally was the youngest ever person to be appointed as the federal government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England before being ordained as a priest in 2002. In 2018, she became the primary ever woman to be appointed as Bishop of London.

For a few years she led the Living in Love and Faith project, a consultation across the Church of England on sexuality, marriage and gender identity that paved the solution to its approving same-sex blessings.