🔗 Share this article Sarah Mullally Appointed as First Female Leader of Canterbury Sarah Mullally has been named as the first female leader of the Church of England, with official sources revealing the new spiritual leader of Canterbury almost twelve months following Welby stepping down following a safeguarding controversy. This represents the inaugural instance an archbishop of Canterbury has been appointed since the Church of England opened the episcopate to women in 2014. The top cleric is considered the spiritual leader of the Anglican church all over the world and also possesses a role in the Lords. The York’s archbishop Stephen Cottrell handled key tasks during the transition period, and was a participating elector of the committee tasked with appointing the new leader. The appointments commission had to agree to the new appointment by a two-thirds consensus. Following approval, according to custom, the steps entail presenting a nominee to the PM, currently Keir Starmer and then passed to the monarch. Mullally will not legally take on the role until a formal endorsement in January, with an installation ceremony scheduled afterward, after homage is rendered to the monarch.