The Church of England has appointed the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally DBE as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in its nearly 500-year history. 

Bishop Sarah, 63, succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned in November 2024 following a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church of England.

The review found that Welby, 68, “could and should” have reported John Smyth’s abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013.

The Rt Revd Mullaly’s appointment marks a landmark moment for the Anglican Communion worldwide and comes weeks after the Church in Wales appointed Cherry Vann, a lesbian, as its new archbishop.

Born in 1962, the Rt Rev Mullally’s path to the highest office in the Church has been anything but conventional. 

Before ordination, she built a distinguished career as a nurse with the UK’s National Health Service, rising to become England’s Chief Nursing Officer at just 37—the youngest person ever to hold the post. 

In recognition of her service to healthcare, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2005. This is the female equivalent of a KBE (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire), whose holders receive the title “Sir”.

After hearing a call to ministry, she was ordained in 2001 and served in parish ministry before rising through the Church’s leadership, according to her profile published on the Church of England website. 

In 2015, she became the Suffragan Bishop of Crediton, and three years later broke new ground as the first woman appointed Bishop of London, the Church of England’s third most senior post.

Throughout her ministry, the Rt Rev Mullally has championed inclusion, pastoral care and social responsibility.

She chaired the Church’s Living in Love and Faith process on sexuality and relationships, which paved the way for the blessing of same-sex couples. 

She has also been a prominent voice in the House of Lords on health care and end-of-life issues, drawing on her professional background in nursing.

The Rt Rev Mullally is married to Eamonn, an IT architect and volunteer guide, and the couple have two grown-up children.

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