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Across England, many celebrated the news of the pioneering woman archbishop of Canterbury. After centuries of female members pushing for positions of authority within the church, a woman will now occupy the highest position in the Church of England. This appointment was welcomed not just because the bishop is a female, but because she is considered a insightful, intelligent, brave, and caring figurehead.

Opposition and Concerns

Of course, certain people expressed discontent—whether due to the fact she is a woman or because of her endorsement for the blessing of LGBT unions. Moreover, a number of raised worries about a serious protection incident previously that was not handled well under her oversight in the regional church body of the capital.

Nonetheless, Bishop Sarah—while rather small in stature—possesses broad shoulders, which will be essential. She has survived a lengthy period as bishop of London, which covers one of the most divided regions in the nation regarding women in clergy roles. It is estimated that one in five parishes in the city have adopted measures to restrict female clergy from serving as vicars or consecrating the Eucharist. She has faced sexist actions: in February, at the General Synod, she broke down in tears while describing the numerous subtle slights she has endured. I would guess that a few of those occurrences were far from minor.

Hurdles in Authority

As archbishop of Canterbury, she will preside over a religious body that is accepting of females being priests and bishops, but at the same time, it includes multiple serving senior clergy who welcome her as their new leader but decline to take Eucharist from her. In addition, a senior clergy member does not believe that females should be in leadership over males in the religious institution. Per reports, around six hundred churches continue to restrict women, where it may be impossible for her to lead the bread and wine or preach.

As international leader as head of the Anglican communion—comprising 85 million members in over 165 countries—Bishop Sarah will additionally face difficulties because of her sex. While the majority of provinces in the Anglican communion now accept women clergy, some refuse to. Her position on same-sex relations—she supports permitting clergy to sanction gay unions, if they agree—is also opposed by certain factions. Major and powerful groups within the Church of England and global community oppose this. A conservative network, a group of conservative churches, has already stated that it receives the news of Bishop Sarah’s selection with disappointment.

The Path Forward

So, what can be expected?

When she is formally installed as archbishop in March next year, there will be just six years before she is expected to retire at seventy years old. There is nonetheless a lot she can achieve in this period. To do that, I believe she will must show leadership that takes the church in a defined path. Historically, the rallying cry has been cohesion, and leaders have struggled to decide to agree with everyone—despite established procedures for resolving disputes through prayerful debates and ballots at the church assembly.

This has brought to a point where extra bishops are assigned solely for those who do not accept women in leadership. The risk will be to ask for further separate leadership on other issues, such as same-sex blessings. But this direction will result in more fragmentation and increased people being unable to give or receive the Eucharist together—an act that is at the very heart of what it means to be a church. Having the courage to adhere to procedures, take decisions, and not always making complex and costly accommodations for the losing side will bring not only clarity, but in the end enhanced unity too.

Not long ago, while visiting a Anglican school, a student mentioned that a boy had claimed that the scriptures teaches females must be subordinate of males. It would have been preferable to tell her that this does not reflect what the Church of England believes, period. But that was not possible—as parishes are allowed to promote this. Given today’s society with numerous issues, so much hostility, misogyny, and racism, it would be positive for the Anglican Church to have an authentic voice at its helm that calls out the structures of male privilege that fuel harm against women and addresses the systemic sexism that is currently being ignored. It is hoped that the selection of the pioneering woman archbishop of Canterbury will be a big step towards this.