The 63-year-old former NHS chief nurse has been selected as the new Archbishop of Canterbury designate - making history as the first woman to be chosen for this prestigious role.
A former NHS chief nurse, the sixty-three-year-old entered the priesthood in 2006 and was named as the initial woman to serve as Bishop of London in 2018 - the third most senior member of clergy in the Church of England.
This signifies the first time in almost five centuries of tradition that the Anglican Communion has selected a woman to lead it.
Historic Selection
The Church has been without someone in the leading position for almost a year after the previous Archbishop stepped down over a safeguarding scandal.
He resigned following a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the religious institution. The investigation found that he "was able and obligated" have reported the misconduct by John Smyth of boys and young men to law enforcement in 2013.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell took on most of the former Archbishop's duties in an temporary arrangement, and was one of the voting members of the body charged with selecting his replacement.
Political Process
Following established custom, the process of choosing a spiritual leader involves a candidate being given to the Prime Minister and then forwarded to the sovereign.
Sir Keir has welcomed the selection of Dame Sarah, stating: "This position will serve an important function in our national life. I offer my best wishes and look forward to collaborating."
Although formally, the King is head of the Anglican Church, the individual holding the position of spiritual leader is the highest-ranking cleric and is the religious guide of the religious institution and the global Anglican community.
Monarchical and International Response
King Charles III has praised the new Archbishop on her new role, "a position of great significance in the United Kingdom and across the global Anglican Communion", the royal household announced.
The international conservative Anglican group, which advocates for traditional positions, has criticised the appointment, saying that although certain groups support the decision, "the majority of the global church still maintains that the Bible mandates a male-only episcopacy."
Handover Process
She does not legally take on her position until a confirmation of election in the new year, and an enthronement service comes later, after they have pledged allegiance to the monarch.
In a statement on Friday after her appointment was finalized, she said: "I recognize this is a significant undertaking but I undertake it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has."
Speaking from Canterbury Cathedral, she said that "in an age that craves certainty and group identity, the Anglican tradition provides a more subtle approach but more resilient."
Responding to Attack
Talking about the "terrible attack" of Thursday's attack on a Jewish house of worship in Manchester, she stated "we observe hatred that rises up through fractures across our society."
She continued: "We then as a Church have a duty to be a group who stand with the Jewish people against antisemitism in all its forms. Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be allowed to divide our society."
Background and Career
Married with two children, she spent over 35 years in the NHS, becoming the most junior person to serve as chief nurse for the country in 1999.
Although she was volunteering in the Church at the time, it was just a few years later that she chose to enter a clergy member and was promptly assigned helping make reforms in the way the organization addressed abuse.
In 2012 she became financial administrator at Salisbury Cathedral before assuming the role of diocesan leader in the regional church administration in 2015.
As Bishop of London she was regarded as someone who applied her background as an health service manager to help update the diocese.
Guiding Principles
"People frequently inquire what it has been like to have had different professional paths, first in the health service and now in the Church.
"I like to consider that I have consistently maintained one vocation: to follow Jesus Christ, to know him and to make him known, always seeking to demonstrate empathy in the assistance to people, whether as a healthcare professional, a priest, or a bishop."
Upcoming Responsibilities
Perhaps the most urgent thing in her in-tray is still to develop improved approaches towards addressing abuse and treating with more compassion those affected by it.
There has also been a decline in religious participation, though London has to a degree bucked that trend.
A particular subject she has been particularly vocal on is assisted dying - she is a strong critic, as was her predecessor.
When legislation was passed in the Commons, she characterized it as "unworkable and unsafe and creates danger to the most vulnerable people in our society."
Progressive Stances
Among her responsibilities as Bishop of London was to lead a body trying to guide the Church's decision on whether to bless same-sex marriages.
She described the determination to finally allow priests to sanction gay relationships in 2023 as "a moment of hope for the Church."
Rowan Williams, summarised her position as requiring a "newspaper in one hand and a understanding of scripture."
The former spiritual leader explained to journalists "the expectation of having an position on all matters is significantly demanding."
