Archbishop of Wales Cherry Vann has said some parishioners left the church following her appointment, citing discomfort with her sexuality and leadership. Speaking in an interview with BBC Wales on Tuesday, Ms Vann acknowledged ongoing resistance to women in senior church roles, saying, “There are still patches all over the place where people continue to struggle with women in leadership and I have to respect that.”
She said the Church in Wales is making efforts to be inclusive, particularly toward LGBT+ members, while recognising opposing views within the church. “The Church in Wales is working hard to welcome LGBT+ people, but also I respect that there are people in the Church in Wales who find that really difficult,” she said, adding that some members “have felt the need to leave.”
Ms Vann became the UK’s first female Archbishop and the world’s first openly gay archbishop in July, securing a two-thirds majority vote from fellow bishops after the retirement of Andrew John. Reflecting on criticism, she said, “It’s hard to hear some of the things that people say,” but stressed the need for mutual respect, noting that such remarks can feel like “an attack on who I am and who God has made me to be.”