Vicar's Bit For November
Dame Sarah Mullally, our new Archbishop of Canterbury
The new Archbishop of Canterbury has been announced. I have something in common with Dame Sarah Mullally. I was born six months after her, like her in Surrey. Our family then went to the US. She stayed in Surrey for school, eventually training as a nurse, specialising in midwifery and in cancer care. Rising fast, still only in her forties, from 1999 to 2004 Sarah Mullally was Chief Nursing Officer for England and then the NHS director of patient experience. This despite her saying she has dyslexia. For this NHS work, in 2005, Sarah Mullally became a Dame. During this period I moved from Yorkshire to Gloucestershire to become vicar of Painswick.
Sarah is married to Eamonn and has a grown up daughter and son. Her decision to train for ordination led to a rapid rise in the Church of England. By 2015 she was Bishop of Crediton (Exeter) and then in 2018 Bishop of London, the third most important post in the Church of England. And now – after a long period for us waiting to know who was to follow Justin Welby – she has been announced as our next Archbishop of Canterbury. Starting in 2026 Sarah Mullally is the first woman to hold the post.
Fifteen years before Archbishop Sarah was ordained, I trained with the year group of women first to be ordained priests rather than remain as deacons. I knew then that for women to share ministry on an equal basis with men ordained priest, it was likely that many more women than men, would for the next thirty years, take on the senior leadership roles in the Church of England as Archdeacons, as Deans and eventually as Bishops. And so it has proved. Bishop Rachel, Archdeacons Jacqui, Hilary and Katrina, have all proved to be wonderful leaders for us in Gloucestershire.
The London Diocese has highly diverse Anglican theologies; evangelical, catholic, liberal, traditional are all well represented there. Bishop Mullally has formed strong working relationships even with Anglicans not in favour of women’s ordination and leadership. She has been a unifying voice in the lengthy General Synod debates over the blessing of same-sex couples. She has understood the need for the voice of victims to be heard in safeguarding discussions. And she has extensive experience of talking with the 85 million Anglicans across the world, of whom many struggle with women in leadership. Above all else her ministry is centred on the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Our last Queen was a wonderful Head of the Church of England. And Dame Sarah has shown great pastoral skills and serious leadership ability throughout her life as well. The announcement of our new Archbishop of Canterbury is a cause for rejoicing. Let’s cover Dame Sarah in prayer as she starts her ministry.
On giving the news she was to become Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally prayed:
God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit
upon your Church in the burning fire of your love:
grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel
that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith, active in service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Baptisms in November
2nd November 2pm Maisemore Church, Rupert and Wilbur Grigg, parents Emily and Paul
30th November 2pm Staunton Church, Heidi Nunn, parents Miriam and Rob
We offer our prayers and congratulations.