On many Sundays, when we pray for our church leaders by name in the Prayers of the People, we begin with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion. In early October, the Church of England announced that a new archbishop had been chosen, Bishop Sarah Mullally of London. She is the first woman to serve in the office, which dates to the arrival of St. Augustine in Kent in 597, and will begin her ministry in late January.
Bishop Mullally grew up in a churchgoing family in the London suburbs, and her first career was as an oncology nurse. At the age of 37, she became Chief Nursing Officer for Britain’s National Health Service, and she was awarded an O.B.E. for her distinguished service to nursing. Her professional background, many say, has made her an unusually gifted administrator, and she is seen as a caring person and a good listener. She and her husband, Eamonn, have two children.
Mullally trained for ministry as a second career, and led several parishes before being consecrated as one of the Church of England’s first women bishops in 2015. Three years later she was called to lead the Church of England’s largest and most diverse diocese, where she unexpectedly won the trust of most of its prominent conservatives, despite her center-left views.
She faces many challenges in leading the Church of England, which is suffering what many have called “a crisis of mistrust” over its handling of sexual abuse allegations (this led to the resignation of her predecessor), as well as a divisive process that has led to limited permission for the blessing of same-sex relationships. Mullally led a major reform of its safeguarding system about a decade ago, as well as the first stage of the process that permitted the blessings. She is seen by many as a “safe pair of hands” that may be able to bring some resolution in these areas without causing further division.
Her limited support for same-sex blessings has led a number of Anglican primates in the Global South to denounce her leadership, as they had that of her predecessor, Justin Welby. She is a supporter of proposals that would decenter the Archbishop of Canterbury’s role in the Anglican Communion, a move that supporters hope will deescalate conflict and provide space for reconciliation.
When her selection was announced, she said:
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. And 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.
Let us pray for God’s grace for Bishop Mullally as she undertakes this important responsibility.
The Rev. Mark Michael
Rector, St. Francis’ Episcopal Church, Potomac
Editor-in-chief of The Living Church
Rev. Michael is preparing a presentation about Bishop Mullally, and would be happy to come and speak about her at your parish. Please email him to find a time that works well (outside of Sunday mornings).
Learn more about Archbishop Mullally
First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Analysis: Church Leaders Respond to Mullally’s Selection
