Archbishop Cherry Vann speaks out following criticism of her sexuality: ‘I cannot see how it’s wrong’
While The Church in Wales has refused to respond to criticism, Vann insisted it is not "wrong" for her to love her partner in a new interview
By Callum Wells
Cherry Vann, the UK’s first ever lesbian archbishop, has spoken out after critics warned her appointment could drive people away from The Church in Wales.
Living in a same-sex partnership, Vann has become a historic figure as the first openly gay bishop to serve as a primate in the Anglican Communion – but her elevation to the role of archbishop has drawn criticism from conservative groups.
While The Church in Wales has refused to respond to criticism, Vann insisted it is not “wrong” for her to love her partner in a new interview.
“We are not all of one mind on most things” – Archbishop Cherry Vann on scepticism of her appointment
She told Premier Christian News: “Christians hold different views on all manner of subjects, divorce, remarriage, abortion, assisted dying, to name but a few. I mean, we are not all of one mind on most things. And you know, the church changes its position. It learns a broader understanding of God’s love.”
“I cannot see how loving somebody as I love my partner could be wrong,” she added, pointing to the Bible’s openness to interpretation on social issues such as same-sex relationships.
Conservatives have voiced alarm over her appointment. The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon) – a conservative network within the Anglican faith – described her appointment as “another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy”.
Its chair, Dr Laurent Mbanda, who is also Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, accused the church of having “bowed to worldly pressure that subverts God’s good word”.
Keeping her sexuality secret for decades
Last week, Vann reflected on keeping her sexuality secret for decades in order to be accepted as a female Anglican minister. It was only after being appointed bishop of Monmouth five years ago that she openly shared she had been in a civil partnership with Wendy Diamond for three decades.
She told the Guardian: “Other people in England were braver than I was and made their sexuality clear. A lot of them suffered the consequences of that, certainly when going forward for ordination.
“For years we kept our relationship secret because I worried about waking up and finding myself outed on the front page of a newspaper. Now, Wendy joins me everywhere, and when I take services, it’s just normal. But in England she had to stay upstairs if I had a meeting in the house.
“You can hide your sexuality, up to a point, but you can’t hide being a woman. There was a lot of nastiness; the men were angry, they felt they had been betrayed.”