from Anglican Ink
Archbishop’s first Presidential Address highlights her priorities for the future of the Church in Wales
The Archbishop of Wales, Cherry Vann, highlights her priorities for the future of the Church in Wales in her Presidential Address to members of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales.
Archbishop Cherry discusses the following areas:
- Tending to our core purpose as God’s church
- Tending to our relationships with one another; and
- Tending to ourselves and our own individual relationships with God
What follows is the full text of the Archbishop’s Address:
Presidential Address to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales – September 2025
I want to begin this Presidential Address by thanking all who have sent messages of congratulation and good wishes on my election as Archbishop. I’ve been quite overwhelmed by the number of people who have taken the trouble to be in touch both here in Wales and from across the world. I’ve been surprised and delighted to receive cards and e mails from people I’ve not seen since secondary school, from my days at the Royal College of Music and from my 30 years of ministry in Manchester. It’s been a time of reconnecting and that’s felt to be a real blessing.
Most of all, I’ve been encouraged and heartened by those who have assured me of their prayers, particularly those who can’t accept the ordination of women, never mind a woman in the role of bishop and archbishop; and others who struggle with the fact that there is now an Archbishop in Wales who is not only a member of the LGBTQI+ community but is living in a Civil Partnership. Thank you for your graciousness and for the assurance of your prayers. It gives me hope that amidst all our differences we can reach out to one another in prayer and so build a hopeful future together. More about that later.