Gay Marriage in Church Is Inevitable, Says First Openly Lesbian Anglican Archbishop

The new Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev Cherry Vann, has said that gay marriage in church is “inevitable,” though the timing remains uncertain.

Vann, 66, shared in an interview with The Guardian how she concealed her sexuality for decades while navigating her path as a female minister in the Anglican communion.

She is now the UK’s first female and first openly gay archbishop, as well as the first openly lesbian and partnered bishop to serve as a primate within the Anglican communion.

Ordained as one of the first female priests in England in 1994, Vann said her belief in a divine calling to the priesthood sustained her through the challenges she faced. “It happens that I’ve lived in a time that’s meant that I’m a trailblazer, but I’m not a campaigner,” she said. “I do seek to be true to what I think God’s asking of me.”

Since becoming Bishop of Monmouth in 2020, Vann has publicly acknowledged her civil partnership with Wendy Diamond, her partner of 30 years. She contrasted her experience in the Church in Wales, where clergy are permitted to be in same-sex civil partnerships, with her years in the Church of England, where gay clergy are expected to remain celibate.

Reflecting on her journey, she recalled the hostility faced by female priests in the 1990s, saying she hopes debates around sexuality will evolve similarly: “We can vehemently disagree about something, but we can still love one another in Christ and recognise one another as children of God.”

Vann succeeds Andy John, who resigned in June following scandals involving financial mismanagement, bullying, and sexual misconduct at Bangor Cathedral, though he was not personally accused of wrongdoing. She said her priority is “healing and reconciliation” to restore trust in the church.

While expressing no personal desire to marry in church, Vann said, “Gay marriage in church is inevitable, I think: the question is when. There are people who are very opposed, and as leader, I have to honour their position. It isn’t my job to push something through that would alienate a good proportion of clergy.”