NO ONE in the Church in Wales had been left unaffected by a “seismic change” in the life of the Province that had brought “pain and confusion” to many, the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Cherry Vann, has said.
She was addressing the Governing Body on Thursday, the first day of its two-day meeting in Newport.
The reference was to the immediate retirement of the Most Revd Andrew John as Archbishop and Bishop of Bangor in June, following his unqualified apology for recent failings at Bangor Cathedral (News, 28 June).
It was a presidential address notable for its clarity, steadfastness of purpose, and humility, in which the Archbishop urged the Church to tend to its core purpose as God’s Church; its relationships with one another, and individually with God; and to see difference and diversity “not as a threat, but as a gift that enriches and which can be transformative”.
She acknowledged herself “overwhelmed, encouraged, and heartened by those who have assured me of their prayers, particularly those who can’t accept the ordination of women, never mind a woman in the role of Bishop and Archbishop; and others who struggle with the fact that there is now an Archbishop in Wales who is not only a member of the LGBTQI+ community, but is living in a civil partnership.
“Thank you for your graciousness and for the assurance of your prayers. It gives me hope that, amidst all our differences, we can reach out to one another in prayer and so build a hopeful future together.”
She paid tribute to the former Archbishop for “encouraging a focus on prayer, reflection, and honest conversation. Under his leadership, we [the bishops] have gradually been able to be more open and vulnerable with one another, and to gently challenge each other when we feel the need.”
In an address that laid strong emphasis on the need for interconnectedness, she recalled her former position as Chaplain to the Deaf community in Manchester, into which she had gone “full of enthusiasm, wanting to work with this marginalised group of people, but with attitudes and assumptions that I later realised were both arrogant and patronising.
“There are so many groups of people who are marginalised in our world today, and in this country of Wales, who’ve been pushed to the sidelines, made to feel they’re not valued, had their voices silenced or not heard; people who are living in poverty, who are homeless, who suffer with their mental health, who are in some way disabled, and others because of their sexuality and gender.
“We must tend to our attitudes, our behaviours, our assumptions, and unconscious biases, that can so often get in the way of God’s love being shown and shared.”
An Oxford University student had asked her how the Church — in the light of the rise of right-wing extremism and divisive rhetoric, and “particularly after Wales has recently seen the largest conference of the Reform Party to date” — could counter exclusionary narratives and foster unity, safety, and belonging for all who wished to worship.
The Church was called to speak out for peace, reconciliation, and community cohesion, she said; to “love our neighbour as ourselves . . . even those with whom you vehemently disagree.” She recounted her experience in the ’90s as a member of a group of four ordained women and four ordained men who had felt “angry, betrayed, and isolated at the decision the Church had taken”.
They had met three times a year to pray, share lunch, and talk. “Not to try and change each other’s minds, but to seek a way forward together that somehow modelled our unity in Christ, despite our strong and seemingly irreconcilable views.” The first few years had been “intensely awkward and uncomfortable”, but, in the friendship developed over 25 years, “we found healing, and a sense of belonging together.”
She continued: “We have an opportunity to do something similar here in the Church of Wales: not just as we discuss same-sex relationships and equal marriage, but as we face the many other challenges that lie ahead.
“How do we live together as ministry/mission areas, as dioceses, as a province, in a way that’s more interconnected and interdependent? How do we ensure that power is used well and wisely, that we can hold one another to account, and that we deal with one another, always with compassion and humility — treating one another as we ourselves would like to be treated?
“Our story is compromised when we are seen to be protecting ourselves, hiding uncomfortable truths, and keeping silent in the face of wrongdoing. Our mission is undermined when what people see as Christians are not able to practise what we preach, even amongst ourselves.
“My prayer for these next three years is that, individually and together, across the whole of the Province of Wales, we might allow ourselves to be shaped and changed to become ever more Christlike in our lives, in our relationships with one another, and in the mission that God has entrusted to us.”
