Bishop Sarah Mullally's letter to the Anglican Communion follows in full below.

17th October 2025

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

I write, first and foremost, to thank you for your kind messages on my appointment as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. It means a great deal to me to have your encouragement as I respond to the call of Christ and prepare for this new ministry.

This is a call that I accept with a sense of peace, because I trust not in myself, but in God, who has called me to the service of his Church. I am grateful for the support of my family – my husband, Eamonn, and our adult children. I will also be grateful for your support, as we minister together to God’s people across our Communion.

I am deeply conscious that this shared ministry takes place across very diverse contexts – and for some in profoundly difficult situations, witnessing to Christ’s love in places of war, persecution and extreme poverty. I know that each ministry brings its own particular joys and challenges, as we serve the Church across the world. Please be assured that I am praying daily for each of you, and I will continue to do so.

My Christian journey began at the age of 16. Encouraged by a friend, I took a step of faith, making a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ. Throughout my life, this relationship has been my anchor, holding me fast throughout every storm, firmly tied to the truth of the Gospel.

Since then, I have had one single vocation: to follow Christ, wherever he might lead me. I did this first as a nurse, caring for and washing the feet of people at the most vulnerable points in their lives – to embody, as best I could, the hands of Christ on earth. I carried the same vocation with me, and the same duty of care, into my priestly ministry, and I carry it with me now as I move from London to Canterbury.

I strongly believe that this new ministry is not mine alone. It is a shared with you, my colleague primates, together with bishops, priests and congregations all across our Communion.

There is a proverb to which I hold: if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together. I rejoice in sharing this journey with everyone in our Communion. In London, perhaps the most theologically diverse diocese in the Church of England, I hope I have learned how to work even with those who cannot accept my role as bishop or priest – and to do so in a way that is respectful, allowing me to do all I can to support them in their ministry as fellow Christians. This approach will not change when I become Archbishop.

Naturally, the announcement of my appointment has brought renewed attention to the Church of England’s decision to allow churches – at their own discretion – to offer prayers of blessing for people in same-sex relationships. I welcomed the introduction of the Prayers of Love and Faith, while also affirming the Church of England’s decision to maintain its doctrine of Holy Matrimony as a lifelong union between one man and one woman. These decisions, taken by the General Synod in February 2023, remain the position of the Church of England. Last week the House of Bishops agreed in principle that any further decisions relating to these questions would require additional synodical and legislative processes.

I recognise that these are matters of deep theological conviction for many across our Communion. I remain committed to listening with humility, and travelling together to the highest degree possible, as we continue to discern the truth of God and to make room for one another.

I am now studying The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order published last year. They present a vision of Anglican life together that, rather than expecting a structural or theological uniformity, envisions space for confessional and geographical groupings set within the shared life of the Instruments of Communion. I encourage you to reflect on these with me in preparation for our deliberations and decisions at the Anglican Consultative Council in Belfast next year.

Jesus Christ himself would hold us all together, calling us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may be able to test and approve the good and pleasing and perfect will of God (Rom 12:2). We do so in part by accompanying one another in patient prayer and friendship, even when we disagree. Over the past two years, in the company of Anglican brothers and sisters in diverse settings, from Mozambique to Barbados to Brazil, I have found myself rejoicing in our shared rhythms of worship, our shared historical inheritance, our shared focus on Sacrament and Word, mission, and advocacy for those in need. By God’s grace, in the power of the Spirit, I pray that we can continue, as well, to reach agreement about important matters whenever possible, and to make space for conscientious differentiation when necessary.

In the Church of England, our history of safeguarding failures has left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust. As Archbishop, I will remain committed to listening to survivors, caring for the vulnerable, and fostering a culture of safety. It is in God that we find our rock, our place of shelter, and it is our duty to enact this same protective love – to be that place of safety for everyone.

Thank you once again for the gift of your collegiality. I look forward to meeting many of you at my installation next year, and to working with representatives from your provinces at ACC-19.

I give thanks for the Anglican Cycle of Prayer that encourages us to pray for one another each day. You and your Churches are daily in my prayers. Please do keep my ministry, and that of the Church of England, in yours.

Yours in Christ,

The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE
Bishop of London
Archbishop of Canterbury-designate

<First published 18 October 2025 on Anglican Ink >