Cherry Vann has been entrusted with the spiritual leadership of a Church while publicly rejecting the moral standards it is called to uphold, says Christian Concern’s Andrea Williams
The announcement that Cherry Vann is to become Archbishop of Wales marks a new and disturbing chapter in the story of the Church in Wales.
Vann is openly living in a same-sex civil partnership with another woman, a lifestyle in direct defiance of the Bible’s teaching on sexuality and marriage. That she has now been elevated to the highest ecclesiastical office in Wales reveals the full extent to which the Church of Wales has abandoned the gospel it once preached.
The Bible is not ambiguous on matters of sexual ethics. From Genesis to Revelation, scripture affirms that marriage is a sacred, covenantal union between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6). Sexual intimacy is a gift from God, but it is to be enjoyed exclusively within that marital bond (Hebrews 13:4). Any sexual relationship outside of that context, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is repeatedly condemned in scripture (Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10).
This is not a matter of interpretation. It is the plain and historic teaching of the Church, grounded in God’s Word and reaffirmed throughout the centuries. By contrast, Cherry Vann is living openly in a way that the Bible describes as sinful. And more than that, she has been entrusted with the spiritual leadership of a Church while publicly rejecting the moral standards it is called to uphold.
On what basis can someone who openly contradicts God’s Word be considered fit to serve as an Archbishop?
This is not a private matter. Leaders in the Church are held to a higher standard precisely because of the public nature of their witness. As James 3:1 warns: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” To lead God’s people while living in defiance of his Word is not merely inconsistent it is dangerous. It brings scandal to the gospel and confusion to the faithful.
The Apostle Paul is equally clear about the qualifications for church leadership. In Titus 1:7–9, we read that an overseer “must be above reproach. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” On what basis, then, can someone who openly contradicts God’s Word be considered fit to serve as an Archbishop?
What is perhaps most shocking is not just Cherry Vann’s appointment, but the fact that she was elected by a two-thirds majority of the Electoral College. This tells us something far more serious: the leadership of the Church in Wales is no longer merely tolerating false teaching, it is celebrating and promoting it.
In 2 Timothy 4:3, Paul warns Timothy: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” What is happening in the Church of Wales is not progressive its rebellion as old as time. And it is not just a tragedy for the modern Church and witness in Wales it is a crisis.
the leadership of the Church in Wales is no longer merely tolerating false teaching, it is celebrating and promoting it
What does the Church of Wales now stand for? If it will not uphold its own doctrine, how can it be trusted to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ? If it celebrates what scripture condemns, how can it call anyone to repentance and faith? A Church that no longer believes or lives by the Bible is not just irrelevant, it is apostate.
To be clear, the gospel is for all people. Jesus came to save sinners of every kind. There is no room for pride or self-righteousness in the Church. But the gospel is not a licence for sin; it is the power to transform. True love does not affirm people in their rebellion against Godit calls them to repentance, that they might find life and forgiveness in Christ.
Sadly, the Church in Wales has confused love with supposed affirmation. It has chosen cultural approval over biblical truth. In doing so, it has betrayed the Lord it claims to serve and is leading others to do the same.
We must not stay silent. Those of us who believe the Bible is the true and living Word of God must speak up. The appointment of Cherry Vann is not a step forward, it is a step into open rebellion. No faithful Christian should remain under the authority of a church and Archbishop that so flagrantly reject the teaching of scripture. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers…Therefore, go out from their midst and be separate from them” (2 Corinthians 6:14,17).
But even now, we must pray. God is a God of mercy. He judges, but he also restores. My prayer is that the leadership of the Church in Wales would come to repentance, that this public rejection of God’s Word would be followed by a humble return to the truth. That the gospel which once shaped the Church in Wales would once again be preached with boldness, clarity, and power.
The Church does not belong to us. It belongs to Jesus Christ, who is its head and judge. He will not be mocked. But in his mercy, he may revive what appears to be lost.
May the Church in Wales wake up before it is too late.
For an alternative view, read Helen King’s piece here
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