Sarah Mullally: England's 1st Female Archbishop Hopes To Tackle Misogyny In Church

Dame Sarah Mullally has officially become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, marking a historic moment in the Church of England. She is the first woman to hold the role since its creation nearly 1,400 years ago. Her confirmation took place at a legal ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, where her election was formally approved.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop in the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion. While the British monarch remains the Supreme Governor of the Church, the Archbishop holds the highest clerical authority. Dame Sarah’s appointment follows the resignation of her predecessor Justin Welby in late 2024 after a safeguarding scandal.

The Church of England was without an Archbishop for almost a year before Dame Sarah’s appointment was announced in October 2025. She formally assumed her duties in January 2026. Her ceremonial installation at Canterbury Cathedral is scheduled to take place in March.

Speaking to the BBC, the Bishop of Reading, the Right Reverend Mary Gregory, said the appointment was important for women across the Church. She stated that it showed senior leadership roles were now open to women after more than a century of male incumbencies. Gregory became the second woman to serve as Bishop of Reading in 2024.

From Nursing to Church Leadership

Born in Woking, Surrey, in 1962, Sarah Mullally began her professional life in healthcare. She trained as a nurse and specialised in cancer care within the National Health Service. She later became Director of Nursing at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

In 1999, she was appointed Chief Nursing Officer for England at the Department of Health, becoming the youngest person to hold the role. She served in the post until 2004 and was awarded a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2005 for her contribution to nursing and public health.

While working in government, she felt called to ordained ministry and began theological training. She was ordained as a priest in 2001 and served initially as a self-supporting minister before leaving her government role to focus fully on church ministry.

Her rise within the Church of England continued steadily. In 2012, she was appointed Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral. In 2015, she became the Suffragan Bishop of Crediton, making her one of the early women bishops in the Church of England following reforms approved in 2014.

In May 2018, she was installed as the 133rd Bishop of London at St Paul’s Cathedral, becoming the first woman to hold that position. As Bishop of London, she became the third most senior cleric in the Church after the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.

Role in the Church and Public Life

During her time as Bishop of London, Dame Sarah focused on safeguarding, health and social care, and church funding. She led the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith process between 2020 and 2023. This work contributed to the introduction of prayers for same-sex couples.

She served on the National Safeguarding Steering Group and was the Lead Bishop for Health and Social Care. She also chaired the Triennium Funding Working Group, which shaped the Church’s three-year spending plan to support local parishes and clergy.

As a Lord Spiritual, she sat in the House of Lords from 2018 and contributed to debates on healthcare and assisted dying. She was also sworn into the Privy Council and served as Dean of His Majesty’s Chapels Royal.

Dame Sarah is married to Eamonn Mullally and they have two adult children. Her appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury represents a significant development in the leadership history of the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion.