GRAPEVINE
A weekly spiritual insight, sharing a Bible verse paired with a thoughtful reflection to deepen your connection with God and illuminate His path for your life.
Thought for the week - 8th October 2025
THE MOST REVD & RT HON DAME SARAH MULLALLY DBE
TO BECOME 106th ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Bishop of London, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, Downing Street has announced.
Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office. She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026. Sarah Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, and before that was Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37 – having previously specialised as a cancer nurse. Bishop Sarah has described nursing as “an opportunity to reflect the love of God”.
Below is an extract from her first address after being named the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
“Today, as I respond to the call of Christ in this new ministry, I remain rooted in my first calling: to follow Christ, to know him – and to make him known to the world. […]
In the apparent chaos which surrounds us, in the midst of such profound global uncertainty, the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love. […]
Given the many struggles of our Church and of societies here and around the world, I am often asked where I see hope. I have the privilege to see hope in communities, chaplaincies and churches in the Church of England and across the wider Anglican Communion. In parishes across this nation, I see faithful clergy and congregations worshipping God and loving their neighbours. I see thousands of churches running food banks and homeless shelters. I see hospitals and prison chaplains caring for people and families in times of desperation. I see Church of England schools educating a million children across this country. […] I hear the quiet hum of faith in every community, the gentle invitation to come and be with others, and the welcome extended to every person. In all of this, I see hope – because I see the person of Jesus Christ, reaching out to us all. […]
In an age that craves certainty and tribalism, Anglicanism offers something quieter but stronger: shared history, held in tension, shaped by prayer, and lit from within by the glory of Christ. That is what gives me hope. In our fractured and hurting world, that partnership in the Gospel could not be more vital. […]
Hope doesn’t skip over grief, pain and messiness of life but enters into it, and tenderly tells us that God is with us. In every church you will encounter Jesus Christ, and his teaching to love one another: our source and our standard. This is both gift and responsibility. Jesus Christ is the life-changing hope that brings us together as church, even in our own brokenness and messiness – and sends us out into the world to witness to that Love.
I long for that same hope for all those around the world caught up in war. For those living in extreme poverty. For those on the front lines of the ever-worsening climate crisis. For our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters, and all the peoples of the Middle East. For the people of Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Myanmar and the DRC. May God end the horrors of war, comfort those who mourn, and bring hope to those living in despair. And I pray especially for Anglicans in those places, as they suffer alongside the people they seek to love and care for. “
Associate Minister, Revd Steve Turville
Keep up to date
Whether you are new to faith, exploring, or looking for a fresh start in your spiritual journey, we are delighted to welcome you. Our church is more than a building; it’s a community rooted in faith, love, and support, and we’re here to walk alongside you every step of the way.
Receive email updates
Join the community - Keep up to date!