Congratulations Bishop Sarah

At the WATCH AGM on Saturday, members of WATCH shared their joy at the news that the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, has been nominated as Archbishop of Canterbury designate.  After decades of campaigning to remove the limitations placed on the vocations of women by the Church of England, her nomination affirms the calling of all women. We are both delighted to reach a time when   the person discerned as the best person to be appointed to the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is not prevented from being appointed because she is a woman. 

It is not just ordained women who are delighted by this appointment, because to see a woman in a position of leadership, both of the institution and our worship, affirms all women as being made in the image of God, and being  given gifts and charisms that include leadership as well as service and pastoral care – though we rejoice to see that Bishop Sarah has already described her leadership as one inspired by washing feet, first as a nurse and now as a leader who serves with compassion.

We know that a woman being elected and installed as Archbishop of Canterbury will inspire and encourage men and women, lay and ordained, over the whole Communion, in which the service and prayer of women is so vital.

We recognise that Bishop Sarah will be living out this calling in a Church which still makes it legal to reject her liturgical leadership, and that of all ordained women, by refusing to be consecrated or ordained by her, by any other woman  or even by any bishop who has ordained a woman; and to refuse to share fully in communion with her and other women. However, we see in her calling a living out of the affirmation made eleven years ago by the Church of England: that  the Church of England is fully and unequivocally committed to all orders of ministry being open equally to all, without reference to gender.

We send our congratulations to Bishop Sarah and assure her of our continuing prayers as she prepares to take up her new role.