Church of England Enthrones First Female Archbishop as Global Anglican Rift Deepens

Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury at Historic Canterbury Cathedral Ceremony

Dame Sarah Mullally has been formally installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, making history as the first woman ever to hold the highest office in the Church of England. The enthronement ceremony took place at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25, 2026, the Feast of the Annunciation.

Approximately 2,000 guests filled the historic cathedral, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, who represented the King, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Over 100 international guests from 165 countries attended the ceremony.

The service blended centuries old tradition with global symbolism. Mullally sought formal admission by knocking on the cathedral's west door, where she was greeted by children. Prayers and readings were offered in multiple languages, including Urdu, alongside African choruses reflecting the worldwide reach of the Anglican Communion's 85 million members.

She was then seated in the Chair of St. Augustine, a throne dating to the early 13th century. The ceremony marked the symbolic start of her public ministry as both leader of the Church of England and ceremonial head of the global Anglican Communion.

Women continue to be underrepresented. We continue to experience micro aggressions.

Mullally told Parliament's General Synod in February 2025, addressing persistent barriers facing women in senior church appointments.

In the days leading up to her installation, Mullally completed a 140 kilometer pilgrimage along the Becket Camino route from St. Paul's Cathedral in London to Canterbury. She was accompanied by her husband Eamonn and fellow pilgrims, stopping at churches, schools, hospitals, and abbeys along the way. She is the first Archbishop of Canterbury in modern history to undertake such a pilgrimage.

Before entering ministry, Mullally served as England's Chief Nursing Officer. She was ordained as a priest in 2002 and became one of the first women consecrated as a bishop in the Church of England in 2015. She served as Bishop of London from 2018 before her appointment as Archbishop was announced in October 2025.

First Female Archbishop of Canterbury Faces Challenge of Uniting Divided Anglican Communion

Mullally's appointment has not been without controversy. The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a conservative coalition of Anglican churches primarily from African and Asian nations, has directly challenged her leadership. GAFCON, which opposes female ordination and LGBTQ+ inclusion, established a competing council this month.

Her appointment will make it impossible for the archbishop of Canterbury to serve as a focus of unity within the Communion.

GAFCON stated following the announcement.

Multiple primates from the worldwide Anglican Communion have announced boycotts of her installation. The Church of England also faces declining attendance, now fewer than one million Sunday participants, and must rebuild trust following safeguarding failures that led to her predecessor Justin Welby's resignation.

Mullally turns 64 the day after her installation and faces mandatory retirement at 70, giving her just six years to address these institutional challenges.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be blunt. The Church of England has been in freefall for decades, hemorrhaging members, losing moral authority, and chasing the approval of a world that will never respect a church that doesn't respect its own teachings. Now, at this pivotal moment, the institution has chosen to prioritize progressive credentials over doctrinal fidelity. GAFCON is right to sound the alarm. The global south churches that actually fill their pews on Sundays, that face real persecution, that hold to Scripture, are watching. And what they see is a denomination that cares more about being "historic" and "inclusive" than about being faithful. If the Church of England wants to survive, it needs leaders who will stand on the Word of God without apology, not leaders chosen to make headlines.

Take Action

• Pray for the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion during this time of division. Ask God for wisdom and unity grounded in Scripture.
• Support persecuted Christians worldwide through The Shepherd's Shield, which defends believers facing real threats to their faith.
• Learn more about GAFCON's mission to uphold biblical orthodoxy in the Anglican Communion at gafcon.org.
• Donate to Open Doors to support Christians in the most hostile regions of the world where the Church is growing, not shrinking.
• Write to your local Anglican bishop or church leader expressing your desire for faithful, Scripture based leadership in the Church.