Sarah Mullally has been appointed the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide and the first woman to hold the position in the Church of England’s 1,400-year history.

Mullally, 63, has served as Bishop of London since 2018, the Church’s third most senior role after the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Before entering ministry, she worked as a nurse in London hospitals and later became Chief Nursing Officer for England.

“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,” she 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 has been at the heart of key debates in the Church of England, leading its process on marriage and sexuality and supporting the decision to allow ministers to bless same-sex couples in churches. She is also credited with modernising her London diocese and playing a central role in the church’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her appointment was made possible by reforms introduced a decade ago by former Archbishop Justin Welby, which allowed women to be consecrated as bishops.

The leadership of the Church had been vacant since November 2024, when Welby resigned over his handling of the John Smyth abuse scandal. A damning independent report revealed that by 2013 the Church “knew, at the highest level” of Smyth’s abuse, including Welby, who became archbishop that same year. Church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch described Welby’s resignation as “historic and without exact precedent in the 1,427-year history of Archbishops of Canterbury.”

As Archbishop, Mullally will become the most public face of an institution that has long struggled to remain relevant in an increasingly secular nation. The role also carries ceremonial weight, with the Archbishop presiding over major royal occasions, including coronations.

Her selection was overseen by the Crown Nominations Commission, led by former MI5 chief Jonathan Evans. The 17-member body recommended her candidacy, which received the assent of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, before King Charles III formally confirmed the appointment.

In July, Evans said he wanted to avoid a shortlist of candidates “all of whom are white, Oxbridge, male and come from the southeast of England.” He said there was “a desire for somebody who can give genuine spiritual leadership and direction to the church,” and who can “speak authoritatively and graciously with a Christian voice into the affairs of the nation.”

Announcing her appointment, Evans thanked the public for contributing views during the consultation process. “I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months,” he said.

Mullally now faces the task of restoring trust and relevance to the Church, grappling with declining attendance, financial pressures, and the need to engage younger generations. She will be installed officially at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026, becoming the 106th archbishop since Saint Augustine’s arrival in England in 597.

(

AriseNews TV, excluding headline)