The Most Rev Cherry Vann, the newly appointed Archbishop of Wales, has said same-sex marriage in church is inevitable, though timing remains uncertain. Vann, 66, is the UK’s first female and openly gay archbishop, and the first openly lesbian primate in the Anglican communion.
She revealed she hid her sexuality for decades while navigating her career in the Church of England, where gay clergy must remain celibate. In contrast, the Church in Wales allows clergy in same-sex civil partnerships. Vann publicly acknowledged her 30-year partnership with Wendy Diamond upon becoming Bishop of Monmouth in 2019.
Reflecting on her journey, Vann said her strong faith sustained her through discrimination as both a woman and a gay priest. She recalled facing hostility from male colleagues in the 1990s and emphasized the importance of respectful disagreement within the Church.
“It happens that I’ve lived in a time that’s meant that I’m a trailblazer, but I’m not a campaigner,” the Leicestershire-born archbishop said during an interview at the Church in Wales’s offices in central Cardiff,”
“I’m not somebody to be out there all the time but I do seek to be true to what I think God’s asking of me.”
Following the resignation of Archbishop Andy John amid misconduct scandals at Bangor Cathedral, Vann said her top priority is “healing and reconciliation.”
While not personally seeking a church wedding, Vann believes church recognition of gay marriage will eventually happen but says she must respect differing theological views within the Church.
“I don’t personally feel the need to get married in church; Wendy and I have been together for 30 years, we’ve made our vows, and we are committed to each other.
“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, which is theologically grounded. It isn’t my job to push something through that would alienate a good proportion of clergy,” she added.
