Date: March 27, 2026
It has been a productive time to be in Canterbury. I am grateful. It has been a joy to be in England for the installation of Archbishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. To gather in such a moment, when history is being made, is both humbling and inspiring. It has also provided a valuable opportunity to think alongside others about the future of the Church.
Despite the gloomy analysis that so often dominates the secular press, the reality on the ground is more hopeful. The Church of England has, in fact, grown steadily over the last four years, and there is less division than is sometimes suggested. Those sympathetic to Holy Trinity Brompton and Alpha approaches and those committed to the traditional parish system largely find ways to work together, even if occasional tensions arise.
The presence of a significant number of representatives from the Global South at the Installation was a powerful reminder of our shared life. Talk of a dramatic break in the Anglican Communion now seems premature and overstated. God is still at work in and through the Church of England, and we should resist pessimism that too often serves a secular narrative rather than the reality of a living, hopeful Church.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary.Â