The Church of England announced Friday that Sarah Mullally will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, marking the first time a woman has been selected for the role.

“As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager,” Mullally said in a statement. “At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.”

“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions,” she added.

Lord Evans, Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, expressed his support in a statement, saying he will “be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months.”

Mullally also received well-wishes from Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, who invited churches across the global Anglican Communion to pray for her.

Having served as the bishop of London since 2018, Mullally replaces former archbishop Justin Welby. Welby resigned last November following an independent investigation that revealed he failed to act after learning about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps.

Mullally became a Christian at the age of 16 and worked as a nurse before being ordained. She described her nursing career as “an opportunity to reflect the love of God.”

Archbishop of Canterbury-designate Sarah Mullally delivers an address inside Canterbury Cathedral, in Canterbury, Britain, Oct. 3, 2025.  (Toby Melville/Reuters)

She will be the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury after 105 male predecessors. However, Mullally is no stranger to making history, as at 37 years old she became the youngest person ever appointed as the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England. She was later made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire because of her achievements in the field of nursing.

Additionally, she became the first woman to serve as Bishop of London at St. Paul’s Cathedral on May 12, 2018.

Mullally will be known as the Archbishop of Canterbury-designate until her election is confirmed at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Jan. 28, 2026, according to the church. A service of installation — sometimes called an “enthronement” — will take place on March 25, 2026, at Canterbury Cathedral.

“I know this is a huge responsibility, but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has,” Mullally said. 

The Church of England is the mother church of the Anglican Communion, which has more than 85 million members in 165 countries.