BY: DM
Published 1 hour ago
Cherry Vann’s election on July 30 sent shockwaves through the religious community in Britain. In a vote, the Church in Wales’ Electoral College chose the 66-year-old Bishop of Monmouth as its new primate. Vann will be the first woman ever to lead a British Anglican Church and also the first openly lesbian archbishop in Wales.
Vann’s rise to the archbishop’s throne was decades in the making. Originally from Leicestershire, she pursued ministry after a career in music and education, training at Westcott House, Cambridge, and becoming a deacon in 1989. According to Anglican News, Vann was among the first women ordained priests in the Church of England in 1994, then spent 11 years as Archdeacon of Rochdale in Manchester. In January 2020, Vann was consecrated Bishop of Monmouth in Wales, a post she has held until now.
Cherry Vann has made Anglican history.
Vann’s appointment is being hailed as a breakthrough for gender and LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the church. She is the first woman and LGBTQIA+ cleric appointed to lead any of Britain’s Anglican churches and the first openly lesbian archbishop anywhere in the Anglican Communion. In 2003, the US Episcopal Church consecrated Gene Robinson as the first openly gay bishop, but no Primate of a Province had been openly LGBTQIA+ until Vann.
Her rise also reflects changes in the Welsh church’s culture. The Church in Wales has moved cautiously on same-sex issues — it now allows blessings for civil partnerships and permits partnered clergy. However, Vann cautioned that debates over gay marriage in the church will continue.
“Gay marriage in church is inevitable, I think: the question is when,” Vann told The Guardian. “There are people who are very opposed, and as leader, I have to honour their position, which is theologically grounded. It isn’t my job to push something through that would alienate a good proportion of clergy.”
The announcement has drawn a mix of acclaim and criticism. The Very Revd Ian Black, Dean of Newport, said Vann “has brought stability” to Monmouth and called her “the right person for this moment” in Wales, per Anglican News. Meanwhile, conservative Anglicans reacted negatively. The GAFCON Primates’ Council denounced Vann’s election as a “serious error,” Church Times reports. They also claimed that Vann’s appointment “subverts God’s word” on sexuality.
Cherry Vann has been with her partner for three decades
Vann is also known for her long-term partnership. She has been with her partner, Wendy, for over 30 years and entered into a civil partnership in 2015. Since moving to Wales, Vann has been open about their relationship — a change she welcomed.
“For years, we kept our relationship secret because I worried about waking up and finding myself outed on the front page of a newspaper,” she told The Guardian. “Now, Wendy joins me everywhere, and when I take services, it’s just normal. But in England, she had to stay upstairs if I had a meeting in the house.”
Vann steps into her role at a critical time. According to Reuters, her predecessor, Archbishop Andrew John, resigned amid reports of governance and safeguarding failures in the Welsh church. Vann has promised to tackle those issues — and more — head-on.
Does Vann’s appointment feel like a turning point, or just a small step? Comment below!
