Ahead of her Christmas message, the first lesbian and partnered woman elected Archbishop of Wales, Reverend Cherry Vann, shared that parishioners have left the Church in protest over her sexuality and gender.
Appointed in July, Reverend Cherry Vann is the first openly gay Archbishop in the world.
Archbishop Vann was elected by her fellow bishops with a two-thirds majority.
She is the first female and also lesbian leader of the Church in Wales.
Reverend Rosemary Hill, leader of the Open Table community in the East Cardiff Ministry Area said Cherry’s appointment was “a source of great joy and celebration.”
It was a “momentous occasion for LGBTQIA+ Welsh Anglicans.” Hill said.
“That demonstrates how far the Church in Wales has come in terms of equality and inclusion in the last decade.”
Ahead of her first Christmas message as Archbishop, Vann has told BBC Wales she was hurt by attacks about her sexuality and gender.
“There are still patches all over the place where people continue to struggle with women in leadership, and I have to respect that,” Vann said.
“The Church in Wales is working hard to welcome LGBT+ people, but also, I respect that there are people in the Church in Wales who find that really difficult.
“Some, sadly, have felt the need to leave, and I take that very seriously.”
‘Another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy’
Conservative members of the community have voiced their disapproval of Vann’s appointment.
Archbishop of Nigeria, Henry C Ndukuba said “The Church of Nigeria … condemns, unequivocally rejects and will not recognise the election of … Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,”
“As a matter of urgency, the Church of Nigeria believes that this moment calls for prayer for the Church of Wales,
“Hoping that the Church of England will not follow in her steps.”
Faith leaders from the GAFCON network of conservative churches described her appointment as “another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy.”
‘It’s hard to hear some of the things people say’
The vast majority of people had been supportive of Archbishop Vann’s appointment, but she has shared that others have been “quite hostile.”
“It’s hard to hear some of the things that people say, but I think it’s important that there is the space for them to say that,” she said.
“I don’t want people to feel shut down or silenced just because I hold a different view.”
“But it does nevertheless hurt because it feels like an attack on who I am and who God has made me to be.
“We have to find a way as a Church to respect one another’s views and find a commonality in our faith in Christ, despite our differences.”
In her Christmas message, Archbishop Vann chose a passage from the Gospel of John about finding light in the darkness.
“It’s really about how the coming of Jesus into the world is the light in the darkness – and there’s plenty of darkness around in the world at the moment,” she said.
“Our message as Christians is that Jesus comes into all that difficulty and despair and brings the light of hope and love and joy, because of who he is.”
Archbishop Vann told BBC Wales she was very conscious of her responsibility to fix the issues that led to her predecessor’s departure.
He retired following issues with safeguarding, excessive drinking and church members overstepping sexual boundaries at Bangor Cathedral.
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