Date: October 3, 2025
Virginia Theological Seminary and its Center for Anglican Communion Studies are delighted to join our sisters and brothers throughout the world in welcoming the Right Rev’d and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullallay who was announced today as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury is both the Primate of all England and also the focal point of unity and symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The office of Archbishop of Canterbury dates back to 597 when Augustine (later Saint Augustine of Canterbury) and forty monks who had been sent by Pope Gregory the Great arrived in England near the present site of Canterbury Cathedral to revive the Church in England which had existed from Roman times and had struggled to survive during the previous two centuries. The original plan was for Augustine’s group to proceed to London, but upon their arrival they met Christian Queen Bertha and King Ethelbert of Kent who then converted to Christianity and supported their mission. First a monastery and later the cathedral were established at Canterbury.
Bishop Sarah Mullallay is the first woman to hold this position. VTS and GTS will seek to support her ministry. We are blessed with an experienced leader who can support women throughout the communion. I ask all the readers of the commentary to pray for Bishop Sarah today.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary