The Church of England has made history with the appointment of its first-ever female Archbishop of Canterbury in Bishop of London Sarah Mullally, 10 Downing Street announced in London on Friday.
As the principal leader of the Church of England, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally will now lead 85 million Anglicans across 165 countries around the world. Her appointment follows a UK-wide consultation after the resignation of Reverend Justin Welby last year in the wake of a child abuse scandal involving a barrister associated with the Church and reports of a cover-up.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the former National Health Service (NHS) nurse as the “first woman to hold the role” of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, an appointment that was formally approved by King Charles III.
“The Church of England is of profound importance to this country. Its churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the fabric of our communities,” Starmer said in a statement.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together,” he said.
Sarah Mullally, 63, will now be known as Archbishop of Canterbury-designate until she legally becomes the Archbishop of Canterbury at her Confirmation of Election at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in January 2026. This will be followed by a formal service of installation taking place at Canterbury Cathedral in March next year.
“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,” said Bishop Mullally.
The new Archbishop of Canterbury said the Church of England stood with the Jewish community against antisemitism following an attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday which killed two men.
"We then, as a church, have a responsibility to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms," Archbishop of Canterbury-designate Sarah Mullally said on Friday in her first speech since being appointed to the role.
“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. I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions,” she said.
The newly appointed leader of the Church of England said she looked forward to sharing her journey of faith with the millions of people across the global Anglican Communion.
“I know this is a huge responsibility, but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has,” she added.
Woking-born Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, again being the first woman appointed to that role, and before that was Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the UK government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37 – having previously specialised as a cancer nurse. She has referenced her time in nursing as "an opportunity to reflect the love of God".
The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for Canterbury, made up of representatives from across the Church of England, the global Anglican Communion and the Diocese of Canterbury, nominated Bishop Sarah following a process of public consultation. It marked the first time that women were being considered for the role.
CNC chair Lord Evans said the group had heard the “voices of thousands of people” and will be praying for “Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months”.
As the senior-most bishop in the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s ministry combines many roles, including in the House of Lords as one of 26 bishops who comprise the Lords Spiritual.