Sarah Mullally: From NHS Nurse to the Church of England’s Top Job

Sarah Mullally became a Christian at 16, spent two decades as a nurse rising to the UK government’s Chief Nursing Officer, and then rebuilt her entire career inside the Church of England — culminating in her appointment as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.

A cancer nurse before she was a priest

Before ordination, Mullally built a full career in the NHS: she specialized as a cancer nurse, became a ward sister at Westminster Hospital, and by 1999, at just 37, was appointed the government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England — the youngest person ever to hold that post. That medical career ran in parallel with a faith commitment that started at 16, when she became a Christian.

A second career, starting from a deaconate

Mullally trained part-time for Anglican ministry while still working, becoming a deacon in 2001 and a priest in 2002. She was consecrated as only the Church of England’s fourth woman bishop in 2015, according to Britannica’s biography of her, before becoming the first woman appointed Bishop of London in 2018 — the Church’s third most senior position after the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.

The first woman to lead the Church of England

In 2025, Mullally was named Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman ever to hold the position in the Church of England’s history, as reported by CNN. It’s the culmination of a religious career that started as a personal conversion at 16 and moved, decade by decade, from hospital wards to the most senior clerical office in English Christianity.

FAQ

What religion does Sarah Mullally practice?
She is a Christian within the Church of England’s Anglican tradition, and became the first woman to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Was Sarah Mullally always a priest?
No — she spent roughly two decades as an NHS nurse, including a stint as the government’s Chief Nursing Officer, before training for ordained ministry.