Church in Wales Elects First Female LGBTQ Archbishop

Cherry Vann has been elected as the new Archbishop of Wales, becoming the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person to hold this position in the United Kingdom. Vann, who has served as Bishop of Monmouth since 2020 and was among the first women ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1994, won a two-thirds majority vote from the Church in Wales electoral college. Her appointment follows the retirement of Archbishop Andrew John amid safeguarding and governance concerns highlighted by reports about Bangor Cathedral. Vann has pledged to address these issues and work towards healing, reconciliation, and rebuilding trust within the church and its communities. Her election has been welcomed by LGBTQ advocates and church leaders as a step toward greater inclusion and affirmation of diversity within the Anglican Communion. Despite ongoing restrictions on clergy entering same-sex marriages, Vann lives with her civil partner, symbolizing progress in church attitudes toward LGBTQ people.