LONDON (RNS) — After 30 minutes of high-energy Christian ballads, Holy Trinity Brompton’s lead pastor, Vicar Archie Coates, ascended the stage on Sunday (Oct. 5) before a mostly young and multicultural crowd of worshippers. He began by offering words of praise.
“I want to start on behalf of HTB, by giving our warmest congratulations to our very own bishop of London, who has been named as the next archbishop of Canterbury — Dame Sarah Mullally,” Coates said. “She has been such a supporter and partner with us for seven years as bishop in London. I have to think that she’s going to be continuing that on a national and a global level. Congratulations, Sarah Mullally!”
The expression of support for the first woman elected to lead the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion was significant. Last week, when King Charles made known he approved Mullally’s nomination to replace Justin Welby, who resigned after allegations that he failed to report child abuse, there was much handwringing over whether conservative churches would accept a woman.
That now seems less of an issue.
For HTB, a large church with a network of 66 congregations that uphold a traditional view that women should not hold authority over men, Mullally does not appear to be a l …