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Archbishop of Canterbury addresses House of Bishops during US visit

September 28, 2026

[Episcopal News Service – Navasota, Texas] Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally visited the House of Bishops Sept. 25 here at Camp Allen during its fall meeting. Texas was the first stop on her Sept. 25-28 visit to the United States, her first as archbishop of Canterbury. Anglican provinces, including The Episcopal Church, “face very similar challenges and very similar joys” even though they’re geographically, culturally and linguistically different, Mullally told the bishops.  As archbishop of Canterbury, “I have had the joy of being in Jerusalem and Europe. I’ve had the joy of being in Ghana, Cameroon and Kenya and Burundi, and in all of those places, when you go to church, you see an Anglican church,” she said. “Despite the different cultures, different languages, different social settings, different environments, the churches are recognizable as part of the Anglican Communion. I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the welcome that I have received in all those places, and it has been a reminder to me that we’re family.” The House of Bishops was equally excited for Mullally to be part of its Sept. 23-28 gathering, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe told Episcopal News Service. “It’s amazing to have the archbishop of Canterbury with us. She’s shown her genuine leadership and care for the [Anglican] Communion and love for this church,” Rowe said. “It’s exciting to have her represent the unity of the church.” Mullally noted she was addressing the House of Bishops exactly six months after her March 25 installation as the first woman archbishop of Canterbury in the office’s 1,400-year history. As archbishop of Canterbury, Mullally is the most senior bishop in the Church of England and serves as the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes 42 member provinces. “Bishop Sarah has long been known in the Church of England as a wise and steady leader, committed to supporting those who are vulnerable and leading God’s people through difficult times,” Rowe told the bishops as he introduced Mullally. “In these last six months, the rest of us across the Anglican Communion have come to see these qualities for ourselves and give thanks for the gift of serving alongside her.” Before Mullally arrived, several bishops submitted questions for Rowe to ask her during a Q&A discussion. Question topics ranged from evolving as an increasingly postcolonial and polycentric – having more than one center of control – church, to her experience meeting with Pope Leo XIV in April in Vatican City, to supporting Anglicans in the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. Mullally described the bishops’ questions as showing that “we have lots of common ground.” “Having those conversations where there may be differences is so important because we not only gain understanding of other people, we gain understanding of ourselves,” Mullally told ENS Sept. 25 at Camp Allen. “They were great questions, and maybe the one that I will hold on to is, ‘What brings me joy?’ because I think that is so important for us to find joy in our lives, and, for me, it’s joyful to be here today with The Episcopal Church. It’s joyful to go out in parishes in the Church of England, and also across the Anglican Communion and see the way that God is working.” Indianapolis Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, who co-represented The Episcopal Church at Mullally’s installation as vice-chair of the House of Bishops, described Mullally’s brief visit as a “real blessing.” “Our part of the [Anglican] Communion is eager to know her and to walk alongside her and continue to pray for her,” Baskerville-Burrows told ENS. “To have even just a few minutes was a real blessing.” Colorado Bishop Kym Lucas, who participated in a small Bible study group with Mullally during the 2022 Lambeth Conference, echoed the sentiment. She described Mullally’s visit as a “testament” to increasing connection in the Anglican Communion. “I think it is a testament to our connection and the desire for increased connection across the Anglican Communion, and I’m excited about it,” said Lucas, who serves as the House of Bishops’ secretary. “It’s something that I’m working on as well from my diocesan perspective – how can we build community across distance? I think [Mullally] being here was just a really helpful step in that. Everyone seemed receptive. I’m excited about her leadership, and I know her as a very faithful person.” After departing Camp Allen in the early evening, Mullally left for Greenwich, Connecticut, where she preached and joined a Q&A forum at Christ Church the morning of Sept. 27. Later that evening, she led the Evensong and benediction at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York, New York. On Sept. 28, Mullally went to the United Nations to meet with U.N. leaders. She was also scheduled to participate in a roundtable discussion at The Episcopal Church’s headquarters in New York with the International Committee of the Red Cross on protecting health care in conflict. “At this time, going into the meeting in the U.N., I’m conscious that right across the world, Anglican churches are involved in health care, often in places of conflict,” Mullally, a former cancer nurse, told ENS. “For me, the question is: ‘What could we be doing in partnership with the other organizations to ensure that health care continues despite conflict in the world?’ We are Christ’s hands and feet in the world, and that is true in places of conflict as well as in places of peace.” While reflecting on these questions and those asked during the meeting, Mullally described Anglican and Episcopal bishops communion-wide as “figures of unity,” key to building understanding and friendship in a socially and politically “polarized world.” Bishops are called to be figures of unity and people of peace, and how they enable churches and create unifying spaces is critical, Mullally told ENS. “[Having] wonderful links across the Anglican Communion builds understanding and friendship, which really helps in a polarized world.” –Shireen Korkzan […]