The Bishop of London, Rt.Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dame Sarah Mullally,DBE, has been appointed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to lead the worldwide Anglican Communion of 85 million members in 165 countries, the Christian Daily website reports today (Oct. 3, 2025).
The announcement by Lambeth Place, following confirmation by Downing Street on Oct. 3 that King Charles III appointed the nomination, follows months of debate over the appointment process. Critics in the Church of England Evangelical Councel (CEEC) had argued that procedural flaws and new regulations barred male clergy from consideration, raising questions about transparency in the selection.
The Cown Nominations Commission (CNC) for Canterbury nominated Mullolly after a "process of public consultation and prayerful discernment that began in February this year,"Lambeth Palace said.
Mullally, a former chief nursing officer for England and later Bishop of London, will formally take office at her Confirmation of Election of St. Paul's Cathedral in January 2026, followed by heri nstallation at Canterbury Cathedral in March. Ordained in 2001 after a career in nursing, she has emphasized service, listening, and unity as the hallmarks of her ministry.
"As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service 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."
Perhaps the final blow to a dying "church".
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