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Throughout England, many welcomed the announcement of the pioneering woman archbishop of Canterbury. Following generations of female members striving for positions of authority within the religious institution, a female leader will now occupy the highest role in the Church of England. This appointment was welcomed not just because she is a woman, but because she is seen as a insightful, knowledgeable, courageous, and compassionate figurehead.

Resistance and Concerns

Naturally, some individuals voiced discontent—either due to her gender or owing to her support for the approval of LGBT unions. Additionally, a number of pointed out concerns about a serious safeguarding incident in the past that was mismanaged by her team in the regional church body of the capital.

Still, the bishop—while quite diminutive in size—possesses broad shoulders, which will be essential. She endured seven years as senior clergy of London, which covers one of the most divided regions in the country regarding women in clergy roles. Reports indicate that 20% of parishes in London have passed resolutions to restrict women from serving as vicars or consecrating the bread and wine. She has faced misogynistic behaviour: earlier this year, at the church assembly, she broke down in tears while describing the numerous micro-aggressions she has endured. One can assume that a few of those incidents were not micro at all.

Hurdles in Leadership

In her role as archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Sarah will preside over a religious body that is open to women serving as priests and bishops, but at the same time, there are multiple current senior clergy who welcome her as their incoming leader but would not personally receive communion from her. Furthermore, a senior clergy member does not believe that women should hold authority over men in the church. According to data, nearly 600 parishes still limit female clergy, where she might not be able to lead the Eucharist or deliver sermons.

As international leader as head of the Anglican communion—including 85 million people in over 165 nations—she will also encounter challenges because of her gender. Although the majority of provinces in the Anglican communion do ordain women clergy, a few refuse to. Her stance on same-sex relations—she supports permitting clergy to sanction gay unions, provided they consent—is likewise criticised by certain factions. Significant and powerful groups within the Church of England and global community oppose this. A conservative network, a alliance of traditionalist congregations, has already stated that it views the appointment of her selection with sorrow.

The Path Forward

So, how will this all play out?

When Bishop Sarah is formally installed as archbishop in spring the coming year, there will be just a limited time before she is expected to retire at seventy years old. Yet much she can achieve in that time. To do that, I believe she will must demonstrate leadership that guides the institution in a defined path. In the past, the rallying cry has been cohesion, and those in charge have gone round in circles to please all sides—despite established procedures for resolving disputes through prayerful debates and ballots at the church assembly.

Such an approach has led to a situation where extra clergy are assigned exclusively for congregations who do not accept women in leadership. The temptation will be to ask for further separate leadership on additional matters, such as LGBT rites. However this direction will result in more fragmentation and increased members being not allowed to share the Eucharist collectively—something that is central of what it means to be a church. Demonstrating the bravery to follow due process, take decisions, and not always providing complex and expensive provision for the losing side will result in not just clear direction, but ultimately greater unity as well.

Not long ago, in a Anglican school, a young woman mentioned that a male peer had claimed that the Bible teaches women must be under the authority of men. I would have liked to tell her that this is not what the Anglican Church holds, full stop. Yet I could not—as churches are allowed to teach this. Given today’s society with numerous issues, so much hostility, sexism, and racism, it would be beneficial for the Anglican Church to have an genuine voice at its top that calls out the systems of gender bias that drive violence and abuse against women and confronts the systemic sexism that is presently being overlooked. Hopefully that the selection of the pioneering woman archbishop of Canterbury will be a big step in the direction of that goal.