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Across the nation, countless rejoiced the announcement of the first ever woman archbishop of Canterbury. Following ages of female members striving for positions of authority within the religious institution, a woman will now occupy the highest position in the Anglican Church. The appointment was celebrated not only because she is a female, but due to the fact she is considered a wise, intelligent, brave, and caring leader.

Criticism and Issues

Naturally, some individuals expressed unhappiness—either due to the fact she is a woman or because of her endorsement for the approval of LGBT unions. Additionally, some pointed out worries about a serious protection case in the past that was mismanaged during her tenure in the diocese of the capital.

Still, the bishop—although quite diminutive in stature—possesses great strength, which she will need. She endured a lengthy period as senior clergy of London, which covers one of the most contentious areas in the country regarding female priests and bishops. Reports indicate that 20% of parishes in London have adopted resolutions to restrict female clergy from serving as vicars or consecrating the bread and wine. She has faced gender-based discrimination: earlier this year, at the church assembly, she broke down in tears while describing the many daily prejudices she has endured. One can assume that some of those incidents were quite significant.

Hurdles in Leadership

As the senior bishop, she will lead a religious body that is open to women serving as clergy, but simultaneously, it includes seven current bishops who welcome her as their incoming archbishop but decline to take Eucharist from her. Furthermore, a senior clergy member does not believe that females should be in leadership over men in the religious institution. Per data, around six hundred parishes still limit women, where she might not be able to preside over the Eucharist or preach.

As international leader as head of the Anglican communion—including 85 million members in over 165 nations—Bishop Sarah will also face challenges due to her sex. Although the majority of regions in the global church now accept women clergy, a few do not. Her stance on LGBT issues—she supports allowing priests to sanction gay unions, if they agree—is also criticised by certain factions. Significant and influential factions within the Anglican Church and global community resist this. Gafcon, a group of conservative churches, has publicly announced that it receives the news of her selection with sorrow.

Future Prospects

So, how will this all play out?

When she is formally installed as archbishop in spring the coming year, she will only have six years before she is expected to retire at seventy years old. There is nonetheless much that can be accomplished in that time. To do that, it is thought she will must show leadership that takes the institution in a defined path. In the past, the primary goal has been cohesion, and those in charge have struggled to decide to agree with everyone—even with proper processes for resolving disputes through prayerful debates and votes at the church assembly.

This has brought to a point where additional bishops are appointed solely for those who do not accept women in leadership. The risk will be to ask for more alternative episcopal oversight on additional matters, such as LGBT rites. But this direction will lead to more fragmentation and increased members being not allowed to give or receive the Eucharist collectively—something that is at the very heart of the essence to be a church. Demonstrating the courage to adhere to procedures, take decisions, and avoid making complex and expensive accommodations for the losing side will result in not just clarity, but in the end greater cohesion as well.

Recently, while visiting a Church of England school, a student stated that a boy had claimed that the scriptures teaches females must be under the authority of men. It would have been preferable to explain that this does not reflect what the Church of England holds, full stop. Yet that was not possible—because churches are allowed to promote this. In a world with numerous issues, widespread hostility, misogyny, and discrimination, it would be beneficial for the Church of England to have an genuine leader at its top that calls out the systems of male privilege that drive harm against females and confronts the institutional misogyny that is currently being ignored. Hopefully that the selection of the first female senior bishop will be a significant move in the direction of this.