30-07-2025
Church in Wales elects first woman and openly gay archbishop
The first female and openly gay archbishop in Britain has been elected after the Church in Wales confirmed its choice of new leader following two days of secret deliberations.
The Right Rev Cherry Vann, 66, who has pushed for the church to become a more inclusive space for the LGBTQ community, was chosen in the Welsh equivalent of a papal conclave.
Her selection as the fifteenth Archbishop of Wales was hailed by campaigners who predicted it would have 'quite significant ramifications'.
The church is the Anglican sister of the Church of England, which continues to be split at senior levels over gay marriage.
Vann, who has been the Bishop of Monmouth for the past five years, promised to oversee a period of 'healing and reconciliation' after months of scandal when she takes the helm of the church.
