By Archbishop Anne Germond
This week, the Church marked a moment of deep historical and spiritual significance. At a Confirmation of Election service held at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Church of England formally confirmed Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury—the first woman to hold this ancient office. In the weeks ahead, she will take up her public ministry, with her installation to follow in Canterbury.
For Anglicans around the world, the Archbishop of Canterbury occupies a unique place: a focus of unity within the Anglican Communion and a visible sign of our shared inheritance. That inheritance stretches back to 597, when St Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury—a lineage now physically marked in Canterbury Cathedral, where Archbishop Sarah’s name has been engraved alongside all who have held this office before her.
What struck me most in Archbishop Sarah’s words on the day of her confirmation was not the weight of history—though she acknowledged that honestly—but the clarity of her theological grounding and pastoral intent. “I have to depend upon God,” she said. That insistence on dependence—on God rather than office or authority—speaks to a way of leadership that is rooted and grounded in Christ: steady, prayerful, and secure enough to lead without defensiveness or fear.
Again and again, Archbishop Sarah returned to collaboration. She spoke of going far together, of working in partnership, of nurturing confidence in the Gospel not by standing apart but by walking alongside others. In a time when leadership is often imagined as solitary or heroic, her vision is strikingly communal. It echoes something we know well in the Anglican Church of Canada: that the work of the Gospel is sustained through shared discernment, mutual trust, and patient relationship. Her pledge of a “ministry of hospitality” feels especially timely. We live in what she rightly named a fractured world—marked by division, uncertainty, and deep wounds. Hospitality, in this sense, is not superficial warmth. It is the hard, holy work of making space: space to break bread together, space to listen across difference, space for healing and hope to take root. It is Gospel work.
Archbishop Sarah has also spoken candidly about the challenges she faces as the first woman in this role, including her experiences of misogyny—both in the Church and beyond it. I am grateful for her insistence that such realities must be named rather than hidden, and for her clear commitment to safeguarding, particularly to listening attentively to survivors of abuse. These are not secondary concerns. They are integral to the Church’s calling to be a safe and trustworthy place for all.
As she begins her ministry, Archbishop Sarah has described her desire to guide Christ’s flock with calmness, consistency, and compassion. These are qualities we desperately need—not only in England, but across the Anglican Communion. They are qualities that build confidence, not through force, but through faithfulness.
From here in the Diocese of Algoma, we offer Archbishop Sarah our prayers and our goodwill. We give thanks for her willingness to step into this demanding role, for her clear-eyed faith, and for her vision of a Church that goes far together. May her ministry be marked by wisdom, courage, and the deep hospitality of Christ, who continues to meet us—especially in fractured places—with grace and hope.
I invite all Algoma Anglicans to mark your calendars for the installation of Archbishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. The service will take place on March 25, 2026, formally marking the beginning of her ministry in this historic role.
Yours in Christ,
+Anne