The Anglican Church in Jersey has welcomed the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury, with the Dean praising her “unique leadership gifts and considerable experience”.
The 63-year-old Bishop of London, a former senior nurse, was named as the next leader of the Church of England on Friday.
Giving his reaction, the Dean, The Very Reverend Michael Keirle, said that he met the Archbishop of Canterbury Designate several times as they both sat on the General Synod.
“I am very pleased by her appointment,” he said. “I have just heard Bishop Sarah give her first speech as Archbishop Designate and what struck me more than anything else was her reference to ‘hope’ when meeting the challenges facing the nation as well as the Church.
“She also talked about the ‘quiet hum of faith’ – that day-to-day activity that goes on in the community: the food banks, the opening up of our buildings and our outreach work. That struck a deep chord with me.”
He added: “Bishop Sarah will bring her unique leadership gifts and considerable experience in the public square to bear, in leading the Anglican Church forward in this next period in our common life as the Anglican Church, as we address some of the challenges facing the world and the Church.
“We shall be praying for her and her family as she faces the enormous task ahead.”
The Dean said he would be delighted if the next Archbishop of Canterbury chose to visit to the Channel Islands one day.
He said: “We had started discussions about inviting Archbishop Justin [Welby] to the Island, but he obviously then resigned. Hopefully, we will be able to reignite that process with Bishop Sarah.”
The Dean said that issues around safeguarding in the Church which had led to Archbishop Welby’s resignation were still relevant, but he had confidence that Bishop Sarah, especially with her background in nursing and her work in the capital, would listen and bring people together to make the Church a safe space.
However, he added that safeguarding was everyone’s business and not just the Archbishop of Canterbury’s.
In a statement, the Women Anglican Clergy in Jersey said: “We are delighted to hear the news about the appointment of Dame Sarahas the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
“This milestone is especially historic, as she is the first woman appointed to the role. The Church of England has been appointing women as bishops since 2014, and, whilst her appointment may have come as a surprise to some, it is testament to Sarah’sfaithful service and devotion to God, and to the Church’s ongoing journey of growth and renewal.
“As Archbishop, she will bring her own unique gifts, skills and wisdom to the role, and as a female Archbishop, she will bring particular hope and inspiration to women in their diverse callings, serving as a role model for generations to come.
“Her example stands as a living witness to God’s call, reminding us that the gifts of the Spirit are given to all without prejudice.
“While we recognise that the appointment of a woman may be difficult for some, we hope and pray that we can live well together in our differences, as sisters and brothers in Christ, under her leadership.
“We hope the Church of England will welcome her appointment with grace and pray that her ministry will be underpinned by compassion, courage and humility.
“May God guide and strengthen her and the Church of England in this new chapter of ministry, and may the Holy Spirit continue to inspire and uphold Sarah in all that lies ahead.”