Bishop Cherry Vann has made history as the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected Archbishop of Wales—and the first female archbishop in the United Kingdom.

Vann was elected on Wednesday by the Church in Wales, which has been independent from the Church of England since 1920. She previously served as Archdeacon of Rochdale in northern England and became Bishop of Monmouth in 2020. Vann has also served on the Archbishops' Pastoral Advisory Group and works with the Open Table Network, a Christian ministry supporting LGBTQ worshippers.

After her election, Vann acknowledged recent controversies in the church, stating, “The first thing I shall need to do is to ensure that the issues which have been raised in the last six months are properly addressed.” She referred to reports released in May highlighting safeguarding and governance failures at Bangor Cathedral.

While clergy in the Church in Wales cannot enter same-sex marriages, they may be in civil partnerships. Vann lives with her civil partner, Wendy, and their two dogs, according to her official biography. Photo by Open Table Network, Wikimedia commons.