Sarah Mullally has made history as the first woman appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide.

The 63-year-old, Bishop of London since 2018, was previously a nurse and served as England’s Chief Nursing Officer before entering ministry.
“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,” Mullally said. “At every stage of that journey… 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 is known as a reformer and strong administrator, modernising the London diocese, guiding the church through the pandemic, and backing blessings for same-sex couples. Her rise was made possible by reforms under Justin Welby, who first allowed women bishops.

The role had been vacant since Welby’s 2024 resignation over his failure to act on historic child abuse allegations. Historian Diarmaid MacCulloch called his exit “historic and without exact precedent.”

Archbishops are selected by the Crown Nominations Commission, chaired by former MI5 chief Jonathan Evans. He said the church sought someone able “to speak authoritatively and graciously with a Christian voice into the affairs of the nation.” Announcing the appointment, he added: “I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months.”

Mullally will be formally installed at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026, becoming the 106th archbishop and leading efforts to restore trust and relevance in a church facing decline.