The Archbishop of Wales, Cherry Vann, has admitted that her historic appointment as the world’s first openly gay Archbishop has led to a painful exodus of parishioners.
Speaking ahead of her first Christmas message as Archbishop on December 24, 2025, Vann revealed that some members have chosen to abandon the Church in Wales in protest of her lifestyle and leadership.
Her election in July 2025 followed the sudden retirement of her predecessor, Andrew John, amid a massive scandal involving “blurred sexual boundaries,” excessive drinking, and bullying at Bangor Cathedral.
Now, Vann is tasked with fixing a broken church culture while facing intense pressure from conservative Anglicans worldwide.
“Another Nail in the Coffin”: The Global Backlash
The backlash has not just been local. The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon), led by Rwandan Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, officially condemned her election as an “act of apostasy” and “another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy.”
Closer to home, the Church of Nigeria has taken the drastic step of cutting all ties with the Church in Wales, describing the situation as an abomination.
“It can be very hurtful,” Archbishop Vann told the BBC. “But I don’t want people to feel shut down or silenced just because I hold a different view. We have to find a way to respect one another’s views despite our differences.”
A Christmas Message in the “Darkness”
In her inaugural Christmas message, recorded at a Christmas Tree Festival in Risca, the Archbishop drew parallels between the current “despair” in the church and the birth of Jesus into poverty and displacement.
Key Highlights of her 2025 Message:
- The Refugee King: She reminded Christians that Jesus was a refugee before age two, making him the ultimate symbol of hope for the displaced.
- Small Acts of Light: She called on people to perform simple acts a “smile to a stranger” or a “thank you” to combat the “plenty of darkness” currently in the world.
- Church Healing: She committed to a “cultural audit” to ensure the Church in Wales becomes a safe space following the Bangor scandal.
Comparison: The Divide in the Anglican Communion (2025)
| Feature | The Church in Wales (Progressive) | Gafcon / Church of Nigeria (Orthodox) | | Leadership | Supports Female and LGBTQ+ Clergy | Rejects LGBTQ+ Leadership as "Apostasy" | | Doctrine | "Doctrine of Love" & Experience-led | Strict Biblical Inerrancy | | Key Move | Elected Cherry Vann as Primate (2025) | Declared a Formal Split from Canterbury (Oct 2025) |
Road Ahead for 2026
Archbishop Vann is preparing for a landmark vote in the Spring of 2026, where the Church in Wales will decide whether to allow full same-sex marriage ceremonies in its buildings.
While she says she will not “force” the issue, her presence as an out-gay woman is seen as the catalyst that will likely change the church’s laws forever.
