Bishop Cherry Vann of the Anglican Church in Wales was elected Archbishop of Wales this week, making her the first woman and first LGBTQ person to serve as archbishop in the United Kingdom.

The Church in Wales, which separated from the Church of England in 1920, elected Vann on Wednesday. She previously served as Archdeacon of Rochdale in northern England before becoming Bishop of Monmouth in 2020, served on the Archbishops' Pastoral Advisory Group, and works with the Open Table Network, a Christian group that focuses on supporting LGBTQ worshippers.

"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," Vann said in a statement after taking office, referring to internal church reports released in May that led to questions about safeguarding and governance failures at Bangor Cathedral.

According to the Church in Wales, members of the clergy are not allowed to enter into same-sex marriages, but they are allowed to participate in same-sex civil partnerships. Vann, according to her official biography, lives with her civil partner, Wendy, and their two dogs. 

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