Sarah Mullally Becomes Archbishop of Canterbury After 1,400 Years of Male-Only Succession
January 28th, 2026: Mullally Legally Confirmed as ArchbishopNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
For 1,400 years, only men held the position of Archbishop of Canterbury. On January 28, 2026, Dame Sarah Mullally's legal confirmation at St Paul's Cathedral ended that streak, making her the 106th person—and first woman—to lead the Church of England. She now serves as symbolic head of the global Anglican Communion's 85 million members across 165 countries.
The appointment arrives at a moment of fracture. Conservative provinces representing roughly half the Communion's membership have rejected Mullally's authority, citing her support for same-sex blessings and opposition to female bishops. The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) announced plans to form a rival "Global Anglican Communion" with its own leadership structure, scheduled to convene in Nigeria in March 2026—the same month Mullally will be formally installed at Canterbury Cathedral.
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Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.
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"After fourteen centuries of men insisting God preferred their company exclusively, the Church of England has discovered He's been taking calls from women all along. One can only admire the theological acrobatics required to explain why divine will changes precisely when social pressure becomes unbearable."
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The established church of England, with the monarch as its Supreme Governor and the Archbishop of Canterbury as its senior bishop.
A network of conservative Anglican provinces and breakaway groups that oppose progressive policies on sexuality and, in some cases, women's ordination.
A fellowship of predominantly Global South Anglican provinces that uphold traditional positions on marriage and sexuality.
One of the largest and most conservative Anglican provinces in Africa, strongly opposed to women bishops and same-sex blessings.
Kenya has ordained women bishops since 2014 but remains part of GAFCON, representing internal tensions within conservative provinces.
One of three Anglican provinces currently led by a woman, having approved women bishops in 2013.
At a ceremony in St Paul's Cathedral, Mullally's election is legally confirmed, making her the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
A heckler began shouting during the confirmation ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral and was escorted out. The bishops declared no valid objection had been filed, and the ceremony proceeded with Mullally taking her oath of allegiance.
GAFCON declares it will disengage from Anglican Communion structures and form its own "Global Anglican Communion" with separate leadership.
Archbishop Ndukuba calls the appointment "devastating" and declares the Church of Nigeria no longer recognizes the Church of England's leadership.
Dame Sarah Mullally is announced as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman appointed to lead the Church of England.
Welby steps down following the Makin Report, which criticized his handling of abuse allegations against John Smyth.
Sarah Mullally is installed as the 133rd Bishop of London, the third most senior position in the Church of England.
Libby Lane is consecrated as Bishop of Stockport at York Minster, becoming the first female bishop in the Church of England.
After restructuring the proposal, the Synod votes 351-72 to allow women to become bishops in the Church of England.
The General Synod rejects legislation to allow women bishops, falling six votes short of the required two-thirds majority among lay members.
Bristol Cathedral hosts the historic ordination of the first female priests in the Church of England, led by Bishop Barry Rogerson.
The General Synod votes to allow women's ordination to the priesthood after decades of debate.
Barbara Harris becomes the first woman consecrated as a bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion, serving in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
Barbara Harris, a divorced African-American civil rights activist who never attended seminary, was consecrated as suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts—the first woman bishop in Anglican history. Eight thousand people attended the ceremony; 60 bishops participated in the laying on of hands. Harris received death threats and was assigned security, asked to wear a bulletproof vest at public events.
Conservative provinces protested but remained in communion. Harris served 13 years before retiring in 2003.
Her consecration opened a path that led to women bishops across most Western Anglican provinces. The Episcopal Church added her to its calendar of saints in 2022.
Harris broke the global Anglican barrier for women bishops. Mullally's appointment completes the arc Harris began, extending it to the Communion's symbolic center—but faces similar conservative opposition now centered in the Global South rather than the West.
After 29 ballots at the United Methodist Church's North Central Jurisdictional Conference, Marjorie Matthews—a 63-year-old single mother who entered ministry at 42—was elected the first female bishop of any mainline Protestant denomination worldwide. The New York Times called her "a symbol of progress" for women across Protestantism.
Matthews served four years overseeing 135,000 United Methodists in Wisconsin before retiring in 1984.
Her election accelerated acceptance of women bishops across Protestant denominations, including eventual changes in the Church of England.
Matthews demonstrated that major Protestant bodies could accept female episcopal leadership without institutional collapse. The Methodist precedent helped normalize what seemed radical—a pattern Mullally's supporters hope will repeat in global Anglicanism.
After years of preparation, the General Synod voted on legislation to permit women bishops. Bishops approved 44-3; clergy approved 148-45. But the House of Laity voted 132-74—six votes short of the required two-thirds majority. The measure failed despite majority support in all three houses.
Archbishop Rowan Williams called the result "very disappointing." The synod was later dissolved and reconstituted. New legislation was drafted.
The 2012 failure led to a restructured approach that passed overwhelmingly in 2014 (351-72), enabling women bishops and ultimately making Mullally's appointment possible.
The 2012 setback showed that institutional change in the Church of England requires supermajority consensus. The path from that failure to Mullally's appointment took 14 years—suggesting that current GAFCON opposition may delay but not permanently prevent integration.