Gay Archbishop's Appointment Criticized by Christian Group
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The appointment of Cherry Vann as the new Archbishop of Wales, the first woman and first openly gay person to hold the post, has triggered backlash from conservative Christian group Christian Concern, which accused her of contradicting core biblical teachings.
Christian Concern's Chief Executive, Andrea Williams, said Vann "is publicly living in deliberate rejection" of church doctrine because "she lives with her civil partner, Wendy, in a same-sex relationship."
The group's Head of Public Policy, Tim Dieppe, told Newsweek Vann is "openly defying the doctrine she has taken a vow to."
The Church in Wales, which has praised Vann's "rich diocesan experience and deep commitment to reconciliation" declined to respond to the criticism.
Why It Matters
The appointment of an openly gay leader to a major Anglican post has ignited a cultural and theological flashpoint within global Christianity, with the Church in Wales positioning itself as a more inclusive body compared to other Anglican provinces.
In the United States, similar shifts have played out. The Episcopal Church elected Gene Robinson in 2003 as the first openly gay bishop, leading to lasting tensions with the broader Anglican Communion. More recently, openly LGBTQ+ clergy continue to serve in several U.S. dioceses, including Bishop Bonnie Perry of Michigan.
What To Know
Williams said: Cherry Vann lives with her civil partner, Wendy, in a same-sex relationship. This directly contradicts the Church's historic and biblical doctrine that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and that sexual relationships are reserved for marriage.
"As an ordained minister, and now Archbishop, Cherry Vann has sworn to uphold the teaching of the Church. Instead, she is publicly living in deliberate rejection of those very doctrines."
Christian Concern is a U.K-based conservative evangelical advocacy organization, known for supporting high-profile Christian freedom legal cases.
Cherry Vann was elected Archbishop of Wales on Wednesday, after securing support from two-thirds of an electoral college composed of clergy and lay representatives, according to British newspaper The Guardian. She is also the first LGBTQ+ person to hold the title in Wales.
Her civil partnership is permitted under current Church in Wales rules, which allow clergy to enter same-sex civil unions. While same-sex weddings are not currently performed in the church, a 2021 vote by its governing body authorized blessings for same-sex civil partnerships—a change supported unanimously by the bishops and passed by majorities in the clergy and laity, according to BBC News.
Under church law, clergy may opt out of conducting such blessings, but their availability is seen as a meaningful theological endorsement. "The Church in Wales has done the right thing under God for the LGBTQIA+ community," said Bishop Gregory Cameron, who introduced the 2021 bill.
Dieppe said that this amounted to a change in practice not doctrine meaning that, while he still this is a "contradictory position" for the church, Vann's appointment "is still against doctrine."
"She doesn't believe her own church's teachings," Dieppe told Newsweek. "Lots of people are out there thinking this is absurd."
Vann was elected to succeed Archbishop Andy John, who stepped down in June amid growing scrutiny of his leadership after two reports uncovered a culture of excessive drinking, bullying, and sexual misconduct at Bangor Cathedral. There was no suggestion the former archbishop had behaved inappropriately.
Though no allegations were made directly against John, he issued an "unreserved and unequivocal" apology, saying he accepted full responsibility for the church's failures under his leadership.
Vann herself is a patron of the Open Table Network, an ecumenical Christian community for LGBTQ+ people and allies.
She has spoken out against opposition to her role in the church before, telling local outlet Nation.Cymru: "There were a lot of unkind and unpleasant things said on both sides until the day where the General Synod eventually decided that this was the way the church should go."
"I remember being told myself that I couldn't possibly have a call to the priesthood because the church didn't allow it, as if that was a watertight argument," she said. "I think when you have that sense of call, it doesn't go away and it won't go away and we were left waiting."
She went on to speak about how she hid being gay for a long time.
"I have to confess that I hid it for a long, long time as a lot of gay clergy do, and as a lot of people sitting in the pews do," she said. "I hid it out of fear. It was a very fearful place to be, and it felt also quite disingenuous."
She added: "I believe that by simply being here as an out gay person with a partner, and my partner is accompanying me on some of my visits, and we've had nothing but welcome from everybody, I believe that is probably doing as much, if not more, than I would achieve if I were to be an open campaigner on the subject."
When Newsweek contacted the Church in Wales for a response to this criticism, it declined to comment.
But it went on to highlight some of the welcome Cherry had recieved, including from the Cytun, the ecumenical Christian body for Wales, which is made up of the Baptist Union of Wales, the Congregational Federation of Wales, the Union of Welsh Independents, the Presbyterian Church of Wales, the Methodist Church in Wales, the Salvation Army, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Roman Catholic Church, and the United Reformed Church.
It said: "With her rich diocesan experience and deep commitment to reconciliation let us uphold Archbishop-elect Cherry in prayer as she prepares to take up this historic ministry. May she be sustained by God's wisdom, compassion, and grace at this pivotal moment for the Church in Wales."
Official Church in Wales photo of Cherry Vann.
Official Church in Wales photo of Cherry Vann.
Church in Wales
What People Are Saying
Christian Concern's Chief Executive, Andrea Williams said: "That she was elected with a two-thirds majority of the Electoral College demonstrates that the Church in Wales has now institutionally turned away from biblical teaching on sexual morality.
"What is a church if it refuses to uphold the doctrines it professes to believe? What does the Church in Wales actually stand for, if not the gospel handed down through the centuries? This appointment marks a tragic moment, evidence that the Church in Wales is in open rebellion against God's Word. It is a clear sign of apostasy.
"No Bible-believing Christian can remain under the spiritual leadership of someone who so publicly rejects the clear teaching of Scripture. God will judge His Church for abandoning the gospel. As James reminds us, those who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1).
Following her election, Vann said: "I work to bring healing and reconciliation, and to build a really good level of trust across the church and the communities the church serves."
The Very Revd Ian Black, Dean of Newport said on behalf of the Diocese of Monmouth, where Vann has been a bishop for five years: "Cherry is the right person for this moment in the Church in Wales' life. She has the skills and vision that we need to restore trust following some very public failings. She has brought stability to the Diocese of Monmouth, managing the change to ministry areas with clarity and purpose, showing deep care for the clergy and people. This foundation will be a good base as she leads the Province over the next few years. She has a deep faith, which is also open to those who take a different view to her, and this has impressed those people enormously."
He added: "She has the skills and vision that we need to restore trust following some very public failings.
"She has a deep faith, which is also open to those who take a different view to her, and this has impressed those people enormously."
What Happens Next
The Church in Wales is expected to revisit its policy on same-sex blessings by next year, with a possible vote on allowing full same-sex marriage as early as next spring. Vann's leadership could prove pivotal in shaping that debate.
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