The appointment of Wales' first openly gay "archbishop" has sparked a walkout by some of the faithful and criticism from traditionalists

The appointment of Cherry Vann as the first openly gay «archbishop» of Wales, and the first such «archbishop» in the UK and in the wider Anglican Communion, has led to some parishioners leaving the Church in Wales. The «Archbishop» Vann herself, who is in a same-sex civil partnership, has expressed seriousness about this departure, while emphasizing the importance of respecting different points of view. Christian Today reports that.

In an interview with BBC Wales, Vann noted that there are still groups of people who have difficulty accepting women in leadership positions, and this, she said, needs to be respected. She also acknowledged that while the church in Wales has made efforts to accept LGBT+ people, there are also those who find it «really difficult». «Some, unfortunately, have felt the need to leave and I take that very seriously,» she stated.

Recall, earlier we reported that the Anglican Church has decided to put on hold a plan to introduce separate services to bless same-sex couples. This step, which became known on October 16, 2025, was taken by the leadership of the Church in order to prevent a possible split caused by deep disagreements on this issue.