Archbishop Sarah Mullally
2026-
Archbishop-designate Mullally at Canterbury Cathedral on Friday. She thanked women who served in the church before her for being path breakers
Archbishop-designate Mullally at Canterbury Cathedral on Friday. She thanked women who served in the church before her for being path breakers. Photo credit: Toby Melville/Reuters ~ 3 Oct. 2025
The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE to become 106th Archbishop of Canterbury
The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE to become 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. Photo credit: Lambeth Palace ~ 2 Oct. 2025
The Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally was nominated as the Bishop of London
The Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally was nominated as the Bishop of London. Photo credit: Sky News ~ 18 Dec. 2017
The Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, bishop of London (2018-2026)
The Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, bishop of London (2018-2026). Photo credit: Diocese of London

Series (or phases): Archbishop of Canterbury (AD 597-), Geoffrey Fisher (1945-1961), Michael Ramsey (1961-1974), Donald Coggan (1975-1980), Robert Runcie (1980-1991), George Carey (1991-2002), Rowan Williams (2002-2012), Justin Welby (2013-2024), Sarah Mullally (2026-)

Bishop Sarah Mullally’s nomination as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury was announced on 3 October 2025. She is currently Bishop of London, a see she has held since 2018, and which she will vacate when she is translated to Canterbury. She sits on the Lords Spiritual benches in the House of Lords. From 1999 to 2004, she was Chief Nursing Officer for England and the National Health Service’s director of patient experience for England; from 2015 to 2018, she served as Bishop of Crediton, a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Exeter.

Born 26 March 1962, she married Eamonn Mullally in 1987. They have two children.

Mullally held clinical nursing posts at St Thomas’ Hospital and The Royal Marsden Hospital. She held several nursing leadership roles, firstly at the former Westminster Hospital (where she was a Ward Sister and head of practice development) and then as director of nursing at the Chelsea and Westminster. In 1999, she was appointed as Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Patient Experience for England.

From 1998 to 2001, Mullally trained for ordained ministry at the South East Institute of Theological Education (now St Augustine’s College of Theology), whilst studying Theology at the University of Kent, receiving a Diploma in Theology (DipTh) in 2001. She was ordained in the Church of England: made a deacon at Michaelmas 2001 (30 September) at Southwark Cathedral and ordained a priest the following Michaelmas (5 October 2002) at Holy Trinity, Clapham – both times by Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark. From 2001 to 2004, she served her curacy as a non-stipendiary minister at the Parish of Battersea Fields in the Diocese of Southwark.

In 2004, Mullally left her position as Chief Nursing Officer to pursue full-time CofE ministry. She then served as an assistant curate at St Saviour’s Church, Battersea Fields from 2004 to 2006. She graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in pastoral theology from Heythrop College, University of London in 2006. In 2006, she became the Team Rector of Sutton team ministry at St Nicholas Church, Sutton, London.

In June 2015, it was announced that Mullally would be the next Bishop of Crediton, a suffragan bishop in the diocese of Exeter.[20] On 22 July 2015, she was consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Justin Welby at Canterbury Cathedral. On 18 December 2017, it was announced that Mullally would be the next Bishop of London, succeeding Richard Chartres on 8 March 2018.

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