Mullally’s Appointment As Archbishop Of Canterbury May Test Anglican Unity
(ANALYSIS) The announcement that Bishop Sarah Mullally will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury marks an extraordinary milestone in the Church of England’s long and complex history — but also sets the stage for a challenging chapter ahead.
Mullally, 63, will be the first woman to hold the top spiritual post in the Church of England. Her appointment is as symbolic as it is strategic. It comes at a moment when the church is navigating both internal turmoil and a shifting role in British public life amid reverberations that will be felt worldwide.
In breaking one of the last great glass ceilings in church leadership, Mullally has already made history. Whether she can remake the institution she now leads is the deeper, more complicated question ahead.
READ: A Look At The Status Of Women Across Global Christianity
“As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager,” Mullally said. “At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply — to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.”
Mullally’s selection — approved by King Charles III — reflects the culmination of three decades of incremental progress for women in the Church of England. From the ordination of female priests in 1994 to the consecration to bishops in 2015, the church has moved — some would argue very slowly — toward gender parity. That she now steps into a role occupied by 105 men before her is no small statement.
While her appointment is hailed by as groundbreaking by progressives, Mullally inherits a church where gender and sexuality remain flashpoints. The ongoing rift over LGBTQ inclusion continues to divide both clergy and congregations. However, in parts of the Anglican Communion, a global body of over 85 million adherents, debates over same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBTQ clergy have threatened a schism.
As Archbishop of Canterbury, Mullally will need to balance a commitment to inclusion with the theological conservatism that still holds sway in many dioceses at home and abroad. In fact, her appointment may face resistance in parts of the Anglican Communion, particularly in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where more conservative theological views prevail. Mullally’s challenge will be to build bridges across cultural divides, while maintaining unity within a deeply fragmented global church.
In the short-term, Mullally’s most daunting challenge will be reputational. She takes over at a time when the Church of England continues to reel from the fallout of multiple abuse scandals. Her predecessor, Justin Welby, resigned amid a chorus of criticism that he had failed to act swiftly regarding reports of sexual and physical abuse allegations within church-run camps and programs.
For survivors and advocates, the church’s response has been inadequate. Andrew Graystone, a leading voice for abuse survivors, summed it up best with his assessment: “The biggest challenge for the new archbishop is to restore trust after a decade of abuse scandals.”
Mullally’s first remarks as archbishop-designate signaled a broad view of her role that extends beyond theological matters. Addressing social and political issues — from the immigration debate and assisted dying legislation to Thursday’s antisemitic terror attack in Manchester — she has already positioned herself as a moral voice in an increasingly fractured national discourse.
“We are witnessing hatred that rises up through fractures across our communities,” said Mullally, who officially starts in January. “I know that the God who is with us draws near to those who suffer. We then, as a church, have a responsibility to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms. Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart.”
Mullally’s words match with the traditional public role of the Archbishop of Canterbury as a moral compass during times of national tension. Yet this space has become more contested over the past decade, especially as Britain becomes increasingly secular and church attendance continues to fall. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s public welcome underscored the enduring constitutional and cultural importance of the Church of England.
The Church of England is of profound importance to this country,” he said in a statement. “[Great Britain’s] churches, cathedrals, schools and charities are part of the fabric of our communities.”
Clemente Lisi is executive editor at Religion Unplugged.