First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury

On Friday, October 3, 2025, His Majesty The King approved the nomination of the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to serve in this role.

Bishop Sarah said, "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."

This announcement follows a process of discernment by the Crown Nominations Committee, which began in February with a public consultation. Lord Evans, chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, reflecting on the process, said, “That discernment began with the public consultation, which heard the voices of thousands of people as they expressed their hopes for this nomination, and continued all the way through to the Commission’s final meeting."

“I am delighted and encouraged by the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. She represents the grounded strength and wisdom of the middle way of Anglicanism,” said Bishop Susan Bell. “She had led the complex diocese of London extremely well, and we can look forward with confidence to her leadership of the Communion.  Now we must pray for her and for our beloved church.”

Bishop Sarah Mullally was ordained in 2001, serving her curacy in the Diocese of Southwark. She served as the suffragan bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter and, in 2018, became the first woman to serve as the Bishop of London. Before her ordination, Bishop Sarah was a cancer nurse, and the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37. She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing. 

Archbishop Shane Parker, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, commented on Facebook that “The Anglican Church of Canada rejoices at the appointment of Archbishop-elect Sarah Mullally to the see of Canterbury, and extends many blessings and strong support for her ministry.”

The role of the Archbishop of Canterbury is not only that of the most senior bishop in the Church of England, but also the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The Primate of All England and Metropolitan. The role includes the position of one of 26 Bishops in the House of the Lords and the primus inter pares — the first among equals of the Primates of the global Anglican Communion.

In her message to the Anglican Communion, Bishop Sarah shares, “As I prepare for this ministry, I am committed to listening deeply, serving faithfully, and fostering unity and mutual support throughout the Anglican Communion. I look forward to working alongside my fellow Primates and bishops across the world, and learning from the rich diversity of each Province and their local congregations. I also look forward to joining the Anglican Consultative Council when it meets in 2026.”

Bishop Sarah Mullally will serve as the archbishop-designate until her confirmation of election at St. Paul’s Cathedral in January of 2026. She will then be formally installed at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.

Read the full announcement here.