First female leader of Church in Wales announced

Cherry Vann was among the first women to be ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1994

Cherry Vann has been announced as the new Archbishop of Wales.

She becomes the first female leader of the Church in Wales, replacing Andrew John who retired following a turbulent period.

Originally from Leicestershire, she has been Bishop of Monmouth since January 2020, and was among the first women to be ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1994.

Mr John announced his decision to retire with immediate effect in June following the publication of two summaries highlighting safeguarding concerns and misbehaviour at Bangor Cathedral.

Before serving in Monmouth - a role she will continue in as Archbishop of Wales - Ms Vann spent 11 years as Archdeacon or Rochdale, in the Diocese of Manchester.

She has also held senior positions in the governance of the Church of England, including as a member of the Archbishops' Pastoral Advisory Group which has provided resources for churches to help them offer a genuine welcome to LGBTQ+ people.

Following her election, Ms Vann said she would ensure the "issues which have been raised in the last six months are properly addressed".

"I work to bring healing and reconciliation, and to build a really good level of trust across the church and the communities the church serves," she said.

In her biography, Ms Vann was described as having "a passion for justice and reconciliation".

The "talented" pianist is also an associate of the Royal College of Music and a graduate of the Royal Schools of Music, and lives with her civil partner Wendy and their two dogs.

Ms Vann was elected with a two-thirds majority by members of the Electoral College, who met at St Pierre Church and Hotel in Chepstow.

Ian Black, Dean of Newport, welcomed the appointment on behalf of the Diocese of Monmouth, said Ms Vann was "the right person for this moment in the Church in Wales' life".

"She has the skills and vision that we need to restore trust following some very public failings.

"She has a deep faith, which is also open to those who take a different view to her, and this has impressed those people enormously," he said.

Ms Vann will be enthroned at Newport Cathedral "in due course", the Church in Wales said.

Andrew John resigned following a turbulent period for the Church in Wales

Mr John's retirement from the role came after summaries of two reports raised concerns over "a culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred" and excessive alcohol consumption as well as governance and safeguarding weaknesses at Bangor Cathedral.

There is no suggestion the former archbishop has behaved inappropriately.

The full reports have not been published, but an implementation group and oversight board were formed by the Church in Wales to make improvements and implement recommendations.

After calls were made in some quarters for the archbishop to resign, Mr John said he offered his "most heartfelt apology to any members of the cathedral community who have been hurt or who feel I have let them down".

When BBC-produced Newyddion S4C asked the church about serious incident reports they were told had been made to the Charity Commission, it was revealed six had been made in a little over a year relating to charities associated with the diocese.

The commission has now confirmed it has launched a regulatory compliance case into the charities.

Two priests within Bangor Cathedral have also called publicly for an independent inquiry into the cathedral and diocese.