First Woman Archbishop of Canterbury Installed Using Bible Honoring Women

Canterbury, England–It’s almost redundant to say that women have had, and always will have, a significant impact on the way Christianity exists in the world. Still, throughout history, that leadership has often failed to receive recognition at the institutional level. On March 25, 2026, one of the most significant milestones in the recognition of women in the church occurred at Canterbury Cathedral.

This was the day that the Church of England officially installed the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. Sarah Mullally. In the presence of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales, Archbishop Mullally swore the Corporal Oath on Canterbury Cathedral’s Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible.

Though the 6th-century St. Augustine Gospels have been used to swear in new Archbishops since 1945, the text is now too fragile for movement and pomp. The Cathedral chose the Heritage Edition as a worthy replacement, meaningful for a multitude of reasons. One such reason is the significant role that women played in the creation of The Saint John’s Bible, both the original manuscript and the 299 Heritage Editions of the work.

Indeed, 70% of the script was written by four women. Of the 25 members of the artistic team, only six were men; nineteen were women. Women also made up more than half of the Committee on Illumination and Text, the academic committee that provided key theological guidance to the project.

“While Donald Jackson may have led the team,” said Tim Ternes, Curator of The Saint John’s Bible, “it was women who brought it to reality. Women played a vital role in the creation of this new book for the new millennium. What an honor for them all to now be part of this service, and how beautifully symbolic that the first woman leader of any major denomination in the world would swear her oath by placing her hand on this beautiful work primarily done by women to usher in a new era in the church.”

The skins for six out of seven volumes of The Saint John’s Bible were prepared and ruled by a woman, Sarah Harris, Studio Manager. The entire Bible was proofread by one woman, Sally Sargent. Nearly the entire administrative staff and those who managed the studio were all women.

“Women did not just take a behind-the-scenes role—they were in leadership throughout much of the project,” said Ternes. “In fact, the project only got off the ground because of an incredible woman, Carol Marin. The authoritative book on the art of the Bible was written by Susan Sink.  And, the original manuscript is currently being single-handedly bound by a woman.

Finally, “the very book Archbishop Sarah is touching during the service,” said Ternes, “was entirely hand-stitched and bound by women in Phoenix, Arizona.”

The Saint John’s Bible has been touched by the hands and minds of many women, and it shows in the content of its pages. Some of the most major illuminations in the Bible showcase the depth and breadth of women’s contributions to Christianity.

Consider the Wisdom Woman illumination. Completed by Donald Jackson in 2006, a photograph of a Palestinian woman was used to make the many faces of wisdom staring back at us. Her humanity, created in God’s image, reflects back to us. Twenty-eight phases of the moon, another association with the feminine in the universe, circle the frame of this illumination. Images from the Hubble telescope fill the frame’s corners, referencing the cosmic nature of wisdom. Experience the Wisdom Woman illumination in the digital version of The Saint John’s Bible, Turning the Pages, here.

Throughout The Saint John’s Bible, Donald Jackson chose to signify God using gold foil, as opposed to the traditional Western interpretation of God as a white man. God’s presence, then, is released from any one specific gender, allowing for the inclusion of all genders in the divine. The reflective nature of gold foil deepens this concept even further. When someone views gold foil in The Saint John’s Bible, their own reflections look back at them. Each and every person, of any and every gender, is rendered divine.

“We are beyond honored to have played a part in the enthronement of Archbishop Mullally,” said Rev. Dr. John F. Ross, Executive Director of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Program. “A hearty congratulations is in order for the Archbishop and the Church of England.”

The Saint John’s Bible: A Bible for the 21st Century

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