Clergy member in the UK concealed romantic relationship partners for extended periods.
A Milestone for the Church in Wales: Cherry Vann, the First Lesbian Archbishop
Cherry Vann, a trailblazing figure in the Church in Wales, has made history as the first lesbian Archbishop and the first woman to hold the role. With her election on June 30, 2025, Vann became the 15th Archbishop of Wales, marking a significant milestone in both church history and LGBTQ+ inclusion within Anglicanism.
Vann's journey began in 1989 when she was ordained as a deacon, preceding women's right to become priests. In 1994, she was among the first women to be ordained as priests in the Church of England. Since 2020, she has been active in the Church in Wales, which is part of the Anglican Communion.
Vann's appointment was announced last week, and she officially took office in early August 2025. This historic moment was not without controversy, as some Anglican provinces, such as the Nigerian Anglican Church, severed ties with the Church in Wales in reaction to her election due to theological disagreements over sexuality.
Despite these challenges, Vann's leadership symbolizes progressive change and inclusivity in the Church in Wales. She leads services with her partner, Wendy Diamond, by her side, a relationship they have maintained for three decades. Vann kept their relationship a secret while serving in the Church of England, but she revealed it in an interview with the British "Guardian."
Vann emphasizes that her identity as a lesbian woman is only one aspect of her being. She notes, "There is more to me than being a woman and a lesbian in a civil partnership." Her broader ministry transcends her identity, focusing on her service to the church and her commitment to fostering dialogue about sexuality, gender, and leadership roles in the church.
Vann's journey from early ordination through to the highest ecclesiastical office in Wales marks a significant breakthrough for representation and the evolving identity of Anglicanism in the 21st century. Her election represents a landmark in both church history and LGBTQ+ inclusion within Anglicanism, underscoring the ongoing tensions within the global Anglican Communion regarding LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex relationships.
[1] The Guardian
[2] BBC News
[3] The Church of Nigeria
[4] The Tablet
[5] The Telegraph
- Following her election as the first lesbian Archbishop of the Church in Wales in 2025, Cherry Vann's lifestyle, love-and-dating, and relationships became a topic of general news, with her revealing her three-decade-long partnership with Wendy Diamond in an interview with The Guardian.
- Vann's historic appointment, although hailed as a milestone in relationships and LGBTQ+ inclusion within Anglicanism, has sparked policy-and-legislation debates, as evident in the Nigerian Anglican Church's decision to sever ties with the Church in Wales due to theological disagreements over sexuality.
- Beyond her identity as a lesbian, Archbishop Vann's policy-and-legislation commitments extend to fostering dialogues about sexuality, gender, and leadership roles in the church, with her broader ministry inspiring progressive changes in church relationships and the wider society.
