A year after Justin Welby's resignation, the Bishop of London becomes the first woman in history to lead the Church of England. She faces an institution divided between conservatives and liberals, both within England and globally.
Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the Church of England, since 3 October 2025. / Photo: [link]Church of England[/link].
The Church of England, and therefore the worldwide Anglican Communion, has a new leader. On Friday 3 October at 10 a.m. British time, it was announced that the 106th Archbishop of the Church of England was Sarah Mullally, the first woman in history to hold the position.
Bishop of London since 2008, she will take office one year after the resignation of Justin Welby.
She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral on 25th March 2026. The new Archbishop of Canterbury will immediately face heated debates over whether or not to include same-sex marriage in church rites, an issue that has created a global division within the Anglican Communion.
In her first words on the Church of England's official social media accounts, she said: “I accept this call with confidence, not only in myself, but in God, who guides us all. May we be courageous in hope, generous in spirit and steadfast in love, as we serve Christ and others”.
From her experience as a nurse, Mullally has been one of the Anglican figures who has most fervently opposed the assisted dying law currently being debated in the United Kingdom.
In a statement, she later added: “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. I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and 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”.
The Church of England has some 23 million people baptised in its parishes in England. It is the largest denomination in the country, but its structure includes groups that are strongly opposed in their theology, from very liberal to evangelical.
Born in Woking (south of London) in 1962, “she became a Christian at age 16”, says the statement of the Church of England announcing her appointment. She was ordained as a church minister in 2001.
A nurse with long experience (she was appointed the Government's Chief Nursing Officer for England in the Department of Health), she is married and has two grown-up children.
Sarah Mullally led the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith process from 2020 to 2023, a controversial debate on how the Church should address LGBTQI issues. “This included the formative stages of discernment and decision making, which saw the introduction of the Prayers of Love and Faith for same-sex couples”, says the Church of England website. She has also served on the Church’s National Safeguarding Steering Group and is also Lead Bishop for Health and Social Care issues. She is chair of the NGO Christian Aid.
Among the reactions to Sarah Mullally’s appointment was that of the CEO of the Evangelical Alliance United Kingdom (EAUK), Gavin Calver.
Congratulations to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, @bishopSarahM. Leadership is always hard & there are lots of significant challenges ahead for her in the role locally, nationally & globally. Please do join me in praying for her today & in the days ahead pic.twitter.com/R2N5uoGAOI
— Gavin Calver (@GavCalver) October 3, 2025
“Leadership is always hard & there are lots of significant challenges ahead for her in the role locally, nationally & globally”, Calver said. “Please do join me in praying for her today & in the days ahead”.
Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: “I welcome and commend the nomination of Bishop Sarah as the next Archbishop of Canterbury and invite the churches of the global Anglican Communion to pray for her as she prepares to take up this important ministry. May God grant her wisdom and discernment as she seeks to listen to Member churches, encourage mutual support, and foster unity”.
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