UK’s First Female Archbishop Cherry Vann Says Gay Marriage in Church Is Inevitable

The Most Rev Cherry Vann, the newly appointed Archbishop of Wales, has stated that gay marriage in church is inevitable. As the first female archbishop in the United Kingdom and the first openly gay primate in the Anglican Communion, Vann has shared her personal journey of faith, identity, and leadership.

Vann, 66, made history in 1994 as one of the first women to be ordained as a priest in the Church of England. In 2020, she became the Bishop of Monmouth in the Church in Wales and now serves as the UK’s first female archbishop.

She is also the first openly gay and partnered bishop to serve as a primate within the Anglican Church.

In a recent interview with The Guardian UK, Vann reflected on the years she spent hiding her sexuality, fearing backlash within the Church.

“Without the strong belief that God had called me to the priesthood, I would not have survived,” she said.

Vann spoke candidly about her relationship with Wendy Diamond, her partner of over 30 years. She revealed that for much of her ministry in England, their relationship had to remain secret.

“For years we kept our relationship secret because I worried about waking up and finding myself outed on the front page of a newspaper,” Vann said. “

Now, Wendy joins me everywhere, and when I take services, it’s just normal.”

She compared her experience in the Church of England, where same-sex relationships among clergy were tolerated only if celibate to the more inclusive stance of the Church in Wales, where clergy in civil partnerships are accepted.

Navigating the church as a woman, Vann noted, was difficult enough on its own.

“You can hide your sexuality up to a point, but you can’t hide being a woman,” she said. “There was a lot of nastiness. The men were angry. They felt betrayed.”

In the 1990s, Vann was part of a small group of female priests who regularly met with male colleagues who opposed their ordination. Despite the tension, she believed in dialogue and reconciliation.

Now a leader in the Anglican Communion, Vann continues to walk a careful line between advocating for inclusion and maintaining unity.

“Gay marriage in church is inevitable, I think—the question is when,” she said. “There are people who are very opposed, and as leader, I have to honour their position, which is theologically grounded.”

Though she doesn’t feel a personal need for a church wedding, Vann said she believes that the Church must learn to accept deep disagreements while continuing to live in love and fellowship.

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