View source for Church in Wales

{{short description|Anglican church in Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{confused|Church of Wells}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
| icon               = 
| icon_width         = 
| icon_alt           = 
| name               = Church in Wales<br />''{{lang|cy|Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru}}''
| image              = File:Coat of Arms of the Church in Wales.svg
| imagewidth         = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = Coat of arms of the Church in Wales
| abbreviation       = 
| type               = [[Koinonia|Communion]]
| main_classification = [[Christianity|Protestant]]
| orientation        = [[Anglican]]
| scripture          = [[Christian Bible]]
| theology           = [[Anglican doctrine]]{{efn|With various theological and doctrinal identities, including [[Anglo-Catholic]], [[Liberal Christianity|Liberal]] and [[Evangelical Anglicanism|Evangelical]]}}
| polity             = [[Episcopal polity|Episcopal]]
| governance         = 
| structure          = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = Primate
| leader_name1       = {{nowrap|[[Archbishop of Wales]]}}
| leader_title2      = 
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| division2          = 
| division_type3     = 
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| associations       = 
| area               = 
| language           = [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and [[English language|English]]
| liturgy            = 
| headquarters       = [[Cardiff]]
| territory          = [[Wales]] with 1,500 congregations<ref>{{cite web|title=Representative Body|url=http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/|website=churchinwales.org.uk|publisher=Church in Wales|access-date=11 February 2016|archive-date=24 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424224233/http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| possessions        = 
| origin_link        = 
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| founded_date       = 
| founded_place      = 
| independence       = 1920 (disestablishment)
| reunion            = 
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| branched_from      = 
| merger             = 
| absorbed           = 
| separations        = 
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| defunct            = 
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| congregations      = 
| members            = 42,441 (Electoral Roll, 2018)<ref name=":2"/>
| ministers_type     = 
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| tax_status         = 
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| other_names        = 
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| website            = [http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/ churchinwales.org.uk]
| slogan             = 
| logo               = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
{{Anglicanism}}
[[File:Map of Church-in-Wales.svg|thumb|right|250px|Map of the dioceses in the Church in Wales]]
The '''Church in Wales''' ({{langx|cy|Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru}}) is an [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] church in [[Wales]], composed of six [[diocese]]s.<ref>''Y Catechism; Amelinelliad o'r Ffydd – The Catechism: An Outline of the Faith''. Section III, clause 25, p. 7 (Caerdydd/Cardiff. Gwasg yr Eglwys yng Nghymru/Church in Wales Publications 1993)</ref>

The [[Archbishop of Wales]] does not have a fixed [[archiepiscopal see]], but serves concurrently as one of the six [[diocesan bishop]]s. The position is currently held by [[Cherry Vann]], [[Bishop of Monmouth]], since July 2025. Archbishop Vann is the first woman to hold the post of Archbishop of Wales, and therefore the first to be an Anglican archbishop in the United Kingdom or Ireland.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Swerling |first=Gabriella |date=2025-07-30 |title=UK’s first female archbishop appointed |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/30/lesbian-becomes-uks-first-female-archbishop/ |access-date=2025-07-30 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-30 |title=Cherry Vann announced as new Archbishop of Wales |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czd057neeljo |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Unlike the [[Church of England]], the Church in Wales is not an [[established church]]. [[Disestablishmentarianism|Disestablishment]] took place in 1920 under the [[Welsh Church Act 1914]] but the Church still bears some of the characteristics of a 'State' church, especially in areas like marriage and burial grounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/4-5/91/contents|title=Welsh Church Act 1914 |publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2021-06-02}}</ref>

As a province of the [[Anglican Communion]], the Church in Wales recognises the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] as a focus of unity, but without any formal authority.<ref>Except for residual roles — in ecclesiastical court to try the archbishop, as metropolitan; and the appointment of [[notaries]], and the granting of [[Marriage license|Special Marriage Licences]], (s.6, Welsh Church (Temporalities) Act 1919). Both these functions formed part of the jurisdiction of the Papal Legate, which was transferred to the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Reformation.</ref> A cleric of the Church in Wales can be appointed to posts in the Church of England, including the See of Canterbury; a former Archbishop of Canterbury, [[Rowan Williams]], was from Wales and served as Archbishop of Wales before his appointment to Canterbury.

==Official name==
The Church in Wales ({{langx|cy|Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru}}) adopted its name by accident. The [[Welsh Church Act 1914]] referred throughout to "the Church ''in'' Wales", the phrase being used to indicate the part of the Church of England within Wales. At a convention (of the Welsh Church) held in Cardiff in October 1917, [[John Sankey, 1st Viscount Sankey|Mr Justice Sankey]] said that, while the name "the Church ''of'' Wales" appealed to him, he advised that there were good legal reasons why the name "the Church ''in'' Wales" should be adopted, at least at first, to follow the wording in the act. The matter was therefore left at that convention for the second [[Governing Body of the Church in Wales|Governing Body]] to decide at its first session.<ref>{{cite book
 |last=Owen
 |first=Eluned E.
 |author-link=
 |date=1961
 |title=The Later Life of Bishop Owen
 |url=
 |location=Llandyssul
 |publisher=Gomerian Press
 |page=349

}}</ref>

==History==
{{Religion in Wales|sidebar=yes}}
{{See also|Culture of Gwynedd during the High Middle Ages#Celtic Christian traditions{{!}}Celtic Christian traditions in Gwynedd}}

[[Christianity in Wales]] can be traced back to the [[Romano-British culture]]: two of the earliest British saints, [[Julius and Aaron]], were reportedly martyred in the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] legionary town of [[Caerleon]], south-east Wales, in the 3rd century CE.  An organised [[Episcopal polity|episcopal church]] has had continuous existence in Wales since that time. The [[Age of the Saints]] in the 6th and 7th centuries was marked by the establishment of monastic settlements throughout the country by religious leaders such as [[Saint David]], [[Illtud]], [[Padarn]] and [[Saint Teilo]]. This was the period when the [[Welsh people]] developed a shared national identity, arising from [[Welsh language|their language]] and religious beliefs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lloyd |first=J.E. |author-link=John Edward Lloyd |year=1912 |title=A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest |location=London |publisher=[[Longman|Longman, Green, & Co]] |volume=1 |pages=143–159}}</ref>

The Welsh refused to cooperate with [[Augustine of Canterbury]]'s mission to the [[Anglo-Saxons]] in the 6th century CE. However, a combination of other Celtic dioceses reconciling with the [[Holy See]] meant that from the early [[Middle Ages]], even before the [[conquest of Wales by Edward I]], the Welsh dioceses were part of the [[Province of Canterbury]] and also in communion with the See of Rome until the [[English Reformation]]. Afterward, they were part of the [[Church of England]] until disestablishment in 1920 as, during the reign of [[Henry VIII]], Wales was incorporated into the legal realm of the [[Kingdom of England]] by the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542]]. 

===Disestablishment===
{{See also|Welsh Church Act 1914|Welsh Church (Temporalities) Act 1919|Welsh Church Commissioners|Disestablishmentarianism}}

[[File:Birkenhead by Spy0002.jpg|thumb|150px|[[F. E. Smith]], later 1st [[Earl of Birkenhead]], [[Antidisestablishmentarianism|opposed disestablishment]].]]
During the 19th century, [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformist]] churches increased in Wales, and eventually, the majority of Welsh Christians were Nonconformists, although the Church of England remained the largest single denomination. By the mid-19th century, failing to appoint a Welsh-speaking bishop to any Welsh diocese for 150 years caused real resentment; disestablishment was seen as a way to assert national and linguistic identity.

Under the influence of Nonconformist politicians such as [[David Lloyd George]], the [[Welsh Church Act 1914]] was passed by the [[Liberal Government 1905–1915|Liberal Government]] to separate Anglicanism in Wales from the Church of England. The bill was fiercely resisted by members of the Conservative Party and blocked in the [[House of Lords]], but it was eventually passed under the provisions of the [[Parliament Act 1911]].

The opposition to disestablishment was led by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician [[F. E. Smith]], who characterised the disestablishment bill as "a Bill which has shocked the conscience of every Christian community in Europe." In response to this description, the writer [[G. K. Chesterton]] penned the satirical poem "Antichrist, or the Reunion of Christendom: An Ode" containing the memorable retort "Chuck It, Smith".<ref>[[s:Antichrist, or the Reunion of Christendom: An Ode|"Antichrist, or the Reunion of Christendom: An Ode".]]</ref>

The act both ''disestablished'' and ''disendowed'' the "Church in Wales", the term used to define the part of the Church of England which was to be separated. Disestablishment meant the end of the church's special legal status, and Welsh bishops were no longer entitled to sit in the [[House of Lords]] as [[Lords Spiritual]]. As the Church in Wales became independent of the state, [[tithe]]s were no longer available to the church, leaving it without a major source of income.

Disendowment, which was even more controversial than disestablishment, meant that the endowments of the Church in Wales were partially confiscated and redistributed to the [[University of Wales]] and [[Local government in Wales|local authorities]]. This process was carried out by the [[Welsh Church Commissioners]] following the principles set out in the [[Welsh Church Act 1914]]. Endowments before 1662 were to be confiscated; those of later date would remain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/4-5/91/section/7/enacted |title=Welsh Church Act 1914 |publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2021-06-02}}</ref> This was justified by the theory that the pre-1662 endowments had been granted to the national church of the entire population, and hence belonged to the people as a whole rather than to the Church in Wales; this reasoning was hotly contested. The date 1662 was that of the [[Act of Uniformity 1662|Act of Uniformity]] following the [[English Restoration|Restoration]]; it was after this point that Nonconformist congregations began to develop and the Church of England ceased to be a comprehensive national church. Although secularisation of the cathedrals had previously been suggested,<ref>Welsh Disestablishment Bill 1894: see {{cite book
 |last=Morgan
 |first=Kenneth O.
 |author-link=Kenneth O. Morgan
 |date=1966
 |title=Freedom or Sacrilege? – A History of the Campaign for Welsh Disestablishment
 |location=Penarth
 |publisher=Church in Wales Publications
 |page=18
}}</ref>
the Church in Wales retained all the ancient church buildings and the privilege of conducting legal marriages without reference to the civil registrar.

The [[Welsh Church Act 1914]] was the second [[Act of Parliament]] to receive [[Royal Assent]] without approval by the [[House of Lords]] under the [[Parliament Act 1911]] - the first was the [[Government of Ireland Act 1914]]. Due to the outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914, the [[Suspensory Act 1914]] was passed at the same time, meaning that the act would not be implemented for the duration of the war. Disestablishment finally came into effect in 1920. 

The Church in Wales adopted a written constitution, which has been revised from time to time,<ref name=CCinW>{{cite web|title=Church in Wales: The Constitution|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/constitution/|access-date=2021-09-08}}</ref> and elected a [[Governing Body of the Church in Wales|Governing Body]] which initially met once a year,<ref>{{cite book
 |last=Green
 |first=Charles A.H.
 |author-link=Charles Green (bishop)
 |date=1937
 |title=The Setting of the Constitution of the Church in Wales
 |location=London
 |publisher=Sweet and Maxwell
 |page=365
}}</ref>
but now meets twice annually. The Governing Body has ultimate authority "to approve liturgies, review organizational structures, and secure firm fiscal resources for the mission and ministry of the church". The Church in Wales was one of the first members of the Anglican Communion to adopt [[synod]]ical government.<ref name=Markham>{{cite book|author1=Markham, Ian S.|author2=Hawkins, J. Barney|author3=Terry, Justyn|author4= Steffensen, Leslie Nuñez|title=The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to the Anglican Communion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rbwKNhBueasC&pg=PT521 |year=2013|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-32086-0 |pages=521–523}}</ref>

===Since 1920===
[[Church of England border polls 1915–1916|Parishes overlapping the border were allowed to vote either to accede to the Church in Wales or to continue in the Church of England]]; so the line of disestablishment is not the same as the border between the two countries.<ref>Eighteen cross-border parishes remained in the Church of England and were exempt from disestablishment, The First Report of the Commissioners for Church Temporalities in Wales (1914–16) Cd 8166, p 5; Second Report of the Commissioners for Church
Temporalities in Wales (1917–18) Cd 8472 viii 93, p 4</ref> A few districts in the former counties of [[Monmouthshire]], [[Radnorshire]] and [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]] remain attached to parishes in the Dioceses of [[Diocese of Hereford|Hereford]] and [[Diocese of Chester|Chester]] and consequently they are part of the Church of England. A complete English rural deanery with the generalised name [[Welsh Marches|March]] containing Oswestry and areas to the north-west of Shrewsbury, was transferred from its historic setting in the [[Diocese of St Asaph]] to be consistent with the civil border there. The churches of St Mary, Caernarfon, and [[Llangadwaladr]], Anglesey, were transferred from the Diocese of Chester to that of Bangor.

Today, the Church in Wales is fully independent of both the state and the Church of England. It is an independent member of the [[Anglican Communion]], as are the [[Church of Ireland]] and the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]].

In the first years of the 21st century, the Church in Wales has begun to engage in numerous debates. These particularly concern the appointment of women to the episcopate and the provincial recognition of the equal statuses of the Welsh and English languages in all aspects of church life.

==Membership==
Following disestablishment in 1920, the Church in Wales initially fared better than the Nonconformist churches, which suffered a decline during the late 20th century. In 1960, the Church claimed to have 182,854 communicants, an increase on the comparable figure of 155,911 for 1945,<ref name=NDoe>{{cite book|author=Norman Doe|title=A New History of the Church in Wales: Governance and Ministry, Theology and Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xlTMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA108|date=5 March 2020|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-108-49957-6}}</ref>{{rp|107}} although a reduction on the figure of 196,389 Easter communicants in 1938.<ref name=NDoe/>{{rp|122}} The Anglican Church does not have "a single definition of 'membership' in the Church in Wales."<ref name=":1" /> In 2006, the average weekly attendance was recorded at 6,780 aged under 18 and 39,490 aged over 18. The highest attendance was at Easter, with 68,120 at worship (68,837 in 2007).<ref>[http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/govbody/membfinance.html churchinwales.org.uk] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114175622/http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/govbody/membfinance.html |date=14 November 2007 }}</ref> In 2014, the attendance in the Church in Wales was 52,021 at Easter: a decline of about 16,000 members since 2007, but an increase from 2013. Also, in 2014, nineteen churches were closed or made redundant. Overall, in 2014, the Church in Wales reported 152,000 attenders in its parishes and congregations, compared to 105,000 in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Church in Wales Membership and Finances|url=http://cinw.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Members-Finance-2014-English.pdf|website=www.churchinwales.org.uk|publisher=Church in Wales|access-date=1 November 2015|archive-date=12 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112184536/http://cinw.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Members-Finance-2014-English.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, the number of communicants during Easter was 46,163 and the number of persons on the Electoral Roll was 42,441.<ref name=":2" />

From 2015 statistics, when all "other major acts of worship" are included, the church reported having 206,000 total attenders. "Such additional services, which include civic services, family services, Remembrance, Carol and Christingle services, registered a total attendance of some 206,000 in 2015, compared with 152,000 in 2014."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cinw.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Ag19-MembershipFinance_en.pdf|title=Church in Wales: Membership and Finances 2015|date=2016|website=churchinwales.org.uk|publisher=Church in Wales|access-date=27 September 2016|archive-date=2 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002043321/http://cinw.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Ag19-MembershipFinance_en.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Membership-and-Finances-2017-E.pdf|title=The Church in Wales Membership and Finances|date=2017|website=churchinwales.org.uk|access-date=17 September 2018|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517144542/https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Membership-and-Finances-2017-E.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, "parishes recorded 210,000 people attending other types of traditional worship, which might include civic services, family services, Remembrance, Carol and Christingle services."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/43596-CIW-Memberships-and-Finances-2017-E.pdf|title=The Church in Wales Membership and Finances 2017|date=2017|website=churchinwales.org.uk|access-date=20 October 2019|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517144251/https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/43596-CIW-Memberships-and-Finances-2017-E.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2020, the church counted 146 church schools and 27,000 students.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Church in Wales: Separated, but not cut off from old privileges |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/15-may/features/features/church-in-wales-separated-but-not-cut-off-from-old-privileges |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=www.churchtimes.co.uk}}</ref>

In 2000, membership figures taken as a percentage of the population was 1.6%.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://churchgrowthmodelling.blogspot.com/2015/07/anglican-church-decline-in-west-data.html |title=Figure 3 Anglican Church Membership as Percentage of Population |access-date=20 October 2019 |archive-date=20 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020205333/http://churchgrowthmodelling.blogspot.com/2015/07/anglican-church-decline-in-west-data.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Between 1996 and 2016 the number of signed-up Church in Wales members dropped from 91,247 to 45,759<ref>[https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/church-wales-spend-10m-breathe-14681635 Church in Wales ]</ref> or 1.5% out of a total population of 3,113,150<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Population-and-Migration/Population/Estimates/nationallevelpopulationestimates-by-year-age-ukcountry |title=Statistics Wales National level population estimates by year  |access-date=13 October 2019 |archive-date=23 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823183503/https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Population-and-Migration/Population/Estimates/nationallevelpopulationestimates-by-year-age-ukcountry |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Original research inline|date=October 2019}} The number of Church in Wales members on the "Electoral Roll" dropped further to 42,441 by 2018<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Membership-Finance-2019.pdf |title=Church in Wales Membership & Finance 2018 |access-date=13 October 2019 |archive-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907053525/https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Membership-Finance-2019.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.brin.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/No-48-September-2019.pdf Church in Wales annual report on membership and finance for 2018 page 4 ]</ref> or 1.4% out of the total Welsh population of 3,187,203<ref>[https://www.ukpopulation.org/wales-population/ UK population Wales]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Membership-Finance-2019.pdf |title=Membership Finance 2019 |access-date=13 October 2019 |archive-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907053525/https://s3.amazonaws.com/cinw/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Membership-Finance-2019.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Original research inline|date=October 2019}} The Anglican church claims to be the largest denomination in Wales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/member-churches/member-church.aspx?church=wales|title=Member Church – Wales|last=Office|first=Anglican Communion|website=www.anglicancommunion.org|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref>

==Structure==
{{see also|List of Anglican dioceses in the United Kingdom and Ireland}}
[[File:Church in Wales flag.svg|thumb|200px|[[Flag of the Church in Wales]]]]

The [[polity]] of the Church in Wales is [[episcopal church governance]], which is the same as other Anglican churches.

Prior to 1920, there were four dioceses in Wales, all part of the [[Province of Canterbury]] and each led by its own [[bishop]]:

*The [[Diocese of Bangor]]
*The [[Diocese of St Asaph]]
*The [[Diocese of St Davids]]
*The [[Diocese of Llandaff]]

Two additional dioceses were created soon after the disestablishment of the Church in Wales:

*The [[Diocese of Monmouth]] in 1921
*The [[Diocese of Swansea and Brecon]] in 1923

Monmouth was created from one of the archdeaconries of Llandaff diocese, largely following the boundaries of the traditional (pre-1974) county of [[Monmouthshire]]. Swansea and Brecon was created from the eastern part of the St Davids diocese, largely corresponding to the present day city and county of [[Swansea]] and the traditional counties of Breconshire and Radnorshire (now part of the county of [[Powys]]).

Each diocese is divided into two or three archdeaconries, with 15 of these in total. Each has an archdeacon, who is responsible to the bishop for its administration. The archdeaconries are further divided into deaneries.

Each diocese has its own [[cathedral]], the "mother church" of the diocese and the seat of the bishop - literally, as the cathedral holds the 'cathedra', the bishop's chair. In the cathedral are held important events such as the enthronement of a new bishop and the ordination of priests and deacons. Each cathedral has a dean, appointed to manage the cathedral, with the assistance of the chapter. Together with the archdeacons, the dean of the cathedral is one of the most prominent clerics of the diocese, after the bishop. The chapter is composed of the dean and a number of canons selected from among the clerics of the diocese.

===Diocesan and episcopal coats of arms===
The following episcopal coats of arms are those each bishop is privileged to carry whilst in office. The diocesan coat of arms is identical to the episcopal version except that it is not surmounted by the mitre. With the introduction of the new logos for many of the diocese, their strict use has fallen away during recent years (generally since 2006 onwards) and, as such, the coats of arms are often used synonymously.
<gallery>
File:Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Bangor.svg|Bangor
File:Coat of Arms of the Diocese of St Asaph.svg|St Asaph
File:Coat of Arms of the Diocese of St Davids.svg|St Davids
File:Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.svg|Swansea and Brecon
File:Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Monmouth.svg|Monmouth
File:Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Llandaff.svg|Llandaff
File:Church of Wales group Arms.svg|Combined
</gallery>

===Archbishop===
Until 1920, the Welsh church was part of the Church of England and under the [[Metropolitan bishop#Anglican|metropolitical]] jurisdiction of the archbishop of Canterbury. Since independence in 1920, the Church in Wales has been led by the [[Archbishop of Wales]], who is both the [[Metropolitan bishop#Anglican|metropolitan bishop]] and [[Primate (bishop)#Anglican Communion|primate]]. The archbishop of Wales is elected from the currently seated diocesan bishops and continues as a diocesan after election. Although it is not necessary for every see in the Church in Wales to be filled before an archbishop may be elected, if the vacancy in a see is caused by the resignation of the archbishop, or it arises within 14 days thereafter, the vacant see must be filled before an archbishop can be elected.<ref name="abe">https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/constitution/chapter-v-regulations-relating-archbishop-and-diocesan-bishops/ Constitution of the Church in Wales, Chapter V (Regulations thereto), Regs 5.2, 5.3. (Accessed 2 June 2021)</ref> In an archiepiscopal vacancy, the senior bishop by date of appointment is acting archbishop.<ref name="aab">{{cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/constitution/chapter-v-archbishop-and-diocesan-bishops/|title=Constitution of the Church in Wales - Chapter V: The Archbishop and the Diocesan Bishops - 7.1|access-date= 21 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921151707/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/constitution/chapter-v-archbishop-and-diocesan-bishops/|archive-date= 21 September 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

A former Archbishop of Wales, [[Rowan Williams]], became the first Welsh-born [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. He was consecrated and enthroned as Bishop of Monmouth in 1992 and as Archbishop of Wales in 1999. He was appointed by the Queen (his appointment having been proposed by the [[Crown Appointments Commission]]) as Archbishop of Canterbury in July 2002. He left that post in December 2012.

===Diocesan bishops===
Unlike bishops in the Church of England, each bishop of the Church in Wales is elected by an "electoral college" which consists of all diocesan bishops of the church (including the archbishop), and clerical and lay representatives of all of the dioceses of the Church in Wales. The composition of the electoral college is weighted so that the diocese in which a vacancy occurs is entitled to twice the number of clerical and lay electors compared with other individual dioceses.<ref name=CCinW />  If no candidate who is considered by the electoral college obtains the support of the necessary two-thirds majority of the electors within the three consecutive days of deliberation which are allowed, the decision passes to the bench of bishops.<ref name=CCinW /> This has occurred on two recent occasions.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-04-27|title=June Osborne announced as new Bishop of Llandaff|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39731077|access-date=2021-09-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=13 September 2021 |title=Bishop of Swansea and Brecon - appointment process|website=Church in Wales |url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/bishop-of-swansea-and-brecon-appointment-process/|accessdate=21 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921144037/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/bishop-of-swansea-and-brecon-appointment-process/ |archive-date=21 September 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|The failure of the electoral college to elect a new [[Bishop of Swansea and Brecon]] in September 2021 brought about the unusual situation where the choice of a new bishop fell to a body with a majority of female members.}} In 2013 the Church in Wales officially agreed to the ordination of women as bishops, after a previous proposal for their ordination failed in 2008.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/12/female-bishops-church-in-wales "Female Bishops approved by Church in Wales"], ''The Guardian'', 12 September 2013.</ref>

In descending order of seniority, as of 29 July 2025 (when [[Cherry Vann]] was elected Archbishop), the bench of Welsh bishops consists of:{{efn|Although Press Releases of the Church in Wales suggested that Mary Stallard, when Assistant Bishop, was a member of the bench of Bishops, the Constitution of the Church in Wales (Chapter I; Part II - 7) clearly defines "Bench of Bishops" as meaning "the Archbishop and the other Diocesan Bishops"}}

* [[Cherry Vann]], and [[Archbishop of Wales]] and  [[Bishop of Monmouth]]
* [[Gregory Cameron]], [[Bishop of St&nbsp;Asaph]]
* [[Andy John]], [[Bishop of Bangor]] &mdash; retires 31 August 2025
* [[John Lomas (bishop)|John Lomas]], [[Bishop of Swansea and Brecon]]
* [[Mary Stallard]], [[Bishop of Llandaff]]
* [[Dorrien Davies]], [[Bishop of St&nbsp;Davids]]

[[David Morris (priest)|David Morris]] became [[Assistant Bishop of Bangor]] and [[Bishop of Bardsey]] in summer 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=History is made as Church appoints its youngest ever bishop |url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/history-is-made-as-church-appoints-its-youngest-ever-bishop/ |website=Church in Wales |date=2024 |access-date=19 January 2024 |language=en }}</ref>

In cases where a see is vacant due to the death or [[Translation (ecclesiastical)|translation]] of a bishop, episcopal acts such as ordinations and confirmations are carried out by the archbishop or by another bishop appointed for that purpose by the archbishop.

{{As of|2021}}, four of the bishops used the Welsh name of their See as their episcopal signature (Bangor, Llanelwy for St&nbsp;Asaph, Tyddewi for St&nbsp;Davids,<ref>{{cite web |title=Explanatory Memorandum |website=Church in Wales |url=https://churchinwales.contentfiles.net/media/documents/Explanatory_Memorandum_Memorandwm_Esboniadol_2020.pdf |date=26 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907074816/https://churchinwales.contentfiles.net/media/documents/Explanatory_Memorandum_Memorandwm_Esboniadol_2020.pdf |archive-date=7 September 2021 |access-date=22 February 2022 }}</ref> and Mynwy for Monmouth);<ref>{{cite web |title=Amendments Proposed by Governing Body Members |website=Church in Wales |url=https://churchinwales.contentfiles.net/media/documents/2136_-_Select_Committee_Bill_for_Liturgy_of_Blessing_for_same_sex_rels_ENG.pdf |date=2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907074923/https://churchinwales.contentfiles.net/media/documents/2136_-_Select_Committee_Bill_for_Liturgy_of_Blessing_for_same_sex_rels_ENG.pdf |archive-date=7 September 2021 |access-date=22 February 2022 }}</ref> Landav derives from the Latin Landavensis and the then-Bishop of Swansea and Brecon was Archbishop (who signs as Cambrensis, Latin for 'of Wales').

===Assistant bishops===
Assistant bishops may be appointed within the Church in Wales. Although there have been several assistant bishops in the [[diocese of Llandaff]], in practice assistant bishops have been appointed in other dioceses only when the diocesan bishop is the archbishop for the time being, in order to assist them with diocesan episcopal functions. As archbishop, [[Barry Morgan (bishop)|Barry Morgan]] had an [[Assistant Bishop of Llandaff]]: from April 2009 to April 2017 that post was held by [[David Wilbourne]].<ref>[http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/bishops/bios.html Bishops' biodata] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607055512/http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/bishops/bios.html |date=7 June 2011 }}, Church in Wales website</ref> See also: [[Assistant Bishop of St&nbsp;Asaph]]. On 26 January 2022, it was announced that [[Mary Stallard]] had been appointed [[Assistant Bishop of Bangor]], to assist [[Andy John]] in his diocesan duties while he also serves as Archbishop of Wales; her consecration took place on 26 February 2022 at [[Bangor Cathedral]].<ref>{{cite web |website=Church in Wales |title=Assistant Bishop of Bangor announced |url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/assistant-bishop-of-bangor-announced/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126200953/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/assistant-bishop-of-bangor-announced/ |date=26 January 2022 |archive-date=26 January 2022 |access-date=26 January 2022 }}</ref>

A [[provincial assistant bishop]] was appointed in 1996 to provide episcopal ministry to congregations which could not accept the ministry of bishops who ordained women. The role was analogous to the office of [[Provincial episcopal visitor]] in the Church of England. [[David Thomas (bishop)|David Thomas]] held the position for twelve years, retiring in 2008. At that time the Bench of Bishops decided that it would not continue to appoint a specific bishop to minister to those who reject the ordination of women as priests. This point was reiterated by Barry Morgan at the Governing Body of the Church in Wales in September 2013, during the debate on whether or not the Church in Wales would ordain women to the episcopate.

Historically, there have been [[suffragan bishop]]s both before and since disestablishment, including two [[Bishop of Swansea|Bishops of Swansea]] and one [[Bishop of Maenan]]. From 1946 until his death in 1953, [[Richard William Jones]] ([[Archdeacon of Llandaff]] and Rector of [[Peterston-super-Ely]]) was "Assistant Bishop of Wales".<ref>{{Who's Who| id=U239273 |title=Jones, Richard William}}</ref>

===Representative Body===
The [[Representative Body of the Church in Wales]] is responsible for the care of the church's property and for funding many of the activities of the church, including support for clergy stipends and pensions. Its somewhat misleading title - unlike the Governing Body, it is not a representative decision-making body - is derived from the fact that under the Welsh Church Act 1914 the bishops, clergy and laity were required to set up a body to "represent" them and to hold property which was transferred to them by the [[Welsh Church Commissioners]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/4-5/91/section/13/enacted
|title=Welsh Church Act 1914, s. 13(2)|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2021-07-02}}</ref>

===Governing body===
The [[Governing Body of the Church in Wales]] is responsible for decisions that affect the church's faith, order and worship. It also has powers to make regulations for the general management and good government of the church and its property and affairs. The Governing Body is the supreme legislature of the Church in Wales, broadly speaking the Parliament of the Church in Wales. It usually meets twice a year to receive reports and make decisions on matters brought before it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/governing-body/|title=Governing Body|website=The Church in Wales|access-date=10 February 2019|archive-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604183021/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/governing-body/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Worship and liturgy==
The Church in Wales as a whole tends to be predominantly [[High Church]], meaning that many of the traditions are inherited from the [[Oxford Movement]] in more rural dioceses such as St Davids and Bangor and especially in the industrial parishes of Llandaff and Monmouth. Although the province tends more toward liberal and [[Anglo-Catholic]] positions in theology and liturgy, it also has a tradition of [[evangelicalism]], especially in the southern parts of Wales, and the university town of [[Aberystwyth]]. In the 1960s there was a revival of evangelicalism within the Church in Wales and the Evangelical Fellowship of the Church in Wales exists to support such members of the church.

===''Book of Common Prayer''===
[[File:Welsh Book of Common Prayer, 1567.jpg|thumb|200px|The first ''Book of Common Prayer'' in Welsh published in 1567]]
An Act of Parliament passed in the year 1563, entitled "An Act for the Translating of the Bible and the Divine Service into the Welsh Tongue," ordered that the Old and New Testament, together with the ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]'', were to be translated into [[Welsh language|Welsh]]. A translation by [[Richard Davies (bishop)|Richard Davies]], bishop of [[St Davids]] and the scholar [[William Salesbury]] was published in 1567<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Procter |first1=F |last2=Frere |first2=W H |author2link=Walter Frere|year=1902 |title=A New History of the Book of Common Prayer |publisher=St Martin's Press|page=125}}</ref> by [[Humphrey Toy]] as ''Y Llyfr Gweddi Gyffredin''. A new revision&nbsp;— based on the [[Book of Common Prayer (1662)|1662 English prayer book]] and probably by [[George Griffith (bishop)|George Griffith]], Bishop of [[St Asaph]]&nbsp;- was published in 1664.{{sfn|Muss-Arnolt|1914|loc=Ch VII}} The 1662 prayer book and its Welsh equivalent continued to be used,{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} even after the Church in Wales was disestablished in 1920.

The Church in Wales began revising the ''Book of Common Prayer'' in the 1950s. The first material authorised for experimental use was a [[lectionary]] in 1956, followed by a baptism and confirmation service in 1958, an order for Holy Matrimony in 1960, and an order for the Burial of the Dead in 1962. These did not however enjoy widespread use. In 1966, an experimental order for the Holy Eucharist was authorised. This was the first to enjoy widespread use. Revision continued throughout the 60s and 70s, with an experimental version of morning and evening prayer in 1969. In 1971, a definitive version of baptism and confirmation was authorised, replacing the equivalent in the 1662 [[Book of Common Prayer]]. This was followed in 1974 with a definitive order for the Burial of the Dead, and in 1975 with a definitive order for Holy Matrimony. It was hoped that a new Book of Common Prayer for the Church in Wales would be produced in 1981. However, in 1979, a definitive version of the Holy Eucharist failed to gain a two-thirds majority in the [[House of Clergy]] and the [[House of Laity]] at the Governing Body. A light revision of the 1966 experimental Eucharist was approved by the Governing Body, and the [[Book of Common Prayer (1984)|Book of Common Prayer for use in the Church in Wales]] was authorised in 1984. This Prayer Book is unique{{clarification needed|date=January 2024}} in that it is in traditional English. The Church in Wales first considered a modern language Eucharist in the early 70s, but this received an unremarkable reception. A modern language Eucharist (The Holy Eucharist in modern language) was authorised alongside the new prayer book in 1984, but this did not enjoy widespread use. In 1990, new initiation services were authorised, followed in 1992 by an alternative order for morning and evening prayer<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/morning-evening-prayer/|title=Morning & Evening prayer, an alternative order|first=The Church in|last=Wales|website=The Church in Wales|access-date=30 March 2018|archive-date=31 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331040009/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/morning-evening-prayer/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in 1994 by an alternative order for the Holy Eucharist, in 1995 by the alternative calendar lectionary and [[collect]]s, and in 1998 an order for compline was produced. These enjoyed widespread use. In 2003, a new calendar and collects was made part of the Book of Common Prayer for use in the Church in Wales. This was followed in 2004 by an order for the Holy Eucharist, services for Christian initiation in 2006 and in 2009 by daily prayer. Experimental services continued, with an ordinal produced in 2004, Ministry to the Sick and Housebound in 2007, healing services in 2008, funeral services in 2009, and in 2010 marriage services which became part of the Book of Common Prayer in 2013. The ordinal was made part of the prayer book the following year. In 2017, prayers for a child were released, together with a Revised Order for Confirmation, the latter authorised for five years experimental use following the bench of Bishops' decision to admit unconfirmed children and adults to communion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/confirmation-revised-order-for-2017/|title=Confirmation: Revised Order for (2017)|access-date=5 April 2019|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405213513/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/confirmation-revised-order-for-2017/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, Times and Seasons was released. All of these were published on line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/child-prayers-for-a/|title=Child – Prayers for a|first=The Church in|last=Wales|website=The Church in Wales|access-date=30 March 2018|archive-date=31 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331040119/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/child-prayers-for-a/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/times-and-seasons/|title=Times and Seasons – vol 1 – Advent to Candlemas|first=The Church in|last=Wales|website=The Church in Wales|access-date=19 October 2018|archive-date=19 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019205617/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/representative-body/publications/liturgy/times-and-seasons/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following year Funeral Services became part of the Book of Common Prayer, and additional prayers for different events in life were launched (Blessing of a home, prayers for victims of crime etc.).

===Other publications===
Discontinued publications which frequently provided articles of sub-academic quality were ''Province'', ''[[Yr Haul â'r Gangell]]'', and ''[[Y Llan]]''. Bi-annual news from the Governing Body meeting is released in ''[[Highlights (church publication)|Highlights]]''. News is predominantly circulated on the Church in Wales' provincial and diocesan websites, and in various diocesan magazines.

==Doctrine and practice==
{{See also|Anglicanism|Anglican doctrine}}

Central to the teaching of the Church in Wales is the life, death and resurrection of [[Jesus Christ]]. The basic teachings of the church, or [[catechism]], include:
*Jesus Christ is fully human and fully God. He died and was resurrected from the dead.
*Jesus continues to provide the way to eternal life for those who believe.
*The [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]s were written by people "under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit". The [[Apocrypha]] are additional books that are used in Christian worship, but not for the formation of doctrine.
*The two great and necessary [[Anglican sacraments|sacraments]] are [[Baptism|Holy Baptism]] and [[Eucharist|Holy Eucharist]]
*Other [[Anglican sacraments|sacramental rites]] are [[confirmation]], [[holy orders]], [[matrimony]], [[Confession (religion)|reconciliation of a penitent]], and [[anointing of the sick]].
*Belief in [[heaven]], [[hell]], and [[second coming|Jesus' return in glory]].

The balance of Scripture, tradition and reason as authority for faith and practice is traced to the work of [[Richard Hooker]], a sixteenth-century [[Apologetics|apologist]]. In Hooker's model, Scripture is the primary means of arriving at doctrine, and things stated plainly in Scripture are accepted as true. Issues that are ambiguous are determined by tradition, which is checked by reason.<ref>[http://www.anglicanlistening.org/anglican_listening_61766_ENG_HTM.htm Anglican Listening] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705192528/http://www.anglicanlistening.org/anglican_listening_61766_ENG_HTM.htm |date=5 July 2008 }} goes into detail on how scripture, tradition, and reason work to "uphold and critique each other in a dynamic way".</ref>

=== Ordination of women ===
A proposal to ordain women as priests was introduced and debated in 1995 after it had failed to secure a two-thirds majority in 1994.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/welsh-plan-for-women-priests-1615839.html|title=Welsh plan for women priests|date=16 April 1995|work=The Independent|access-date=30 March 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> The ordination of women to the priesthood was approved by the two-thirds majority in 1996.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-38530906|title=Church marks 20 years of women priests|last=Herd|first=George|date=2017|work=BBC News|access-date=30 March 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> The Church in Wales has ordained women as priests since 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.in.wales.celebrates.ten.years.of.women.priests/9035.htm|title=Church in Wales Celebrates Ten Years of Women Priests|website=www.christiantoday.com|date=9 January 2007 |access-date=2 November 2016}}</ref> Prior to 1997, women were permitted to serve as deacons.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/welsh-women-deacons-made-priests-1.21342|title=Welsh women deacons made priests|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en-US|access-date=2 November 2016}}</ref> The first deaconess was consecrated in 1884.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2015/03/crossing-thresholds-history-of-womens-ministry-in-wales/|title='Crossing Thresholds' – history of women's ministry in Wales – The Church in Wales|website=The Church in Wales|language=en-GB|access-date=30 March 2018|archive-date=30 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330143747/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2015/03/crossing-thresholds-history-of-womens-ministry-in-wales/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013, the church voted to allow women to serve as bishops. In 2016, [[Joanna Penberthy]] was elected the first [[Ordination of women|woman bishop]] in the church.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-37847575|title=Canon Joanna Penberthy elected Wales' first woman bishop|date=2 November 2016|work=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2 November 2016}}</ref> Penberthy was enthroned as [[Bishop of St&nbsp;Davids]] on 11 February 2017. As of 2020, following the enthronement of [[Cherry Vann]] as [[Bishop of Monmouth]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/18204374.new-bishop-monmouth-cherry-vann-enthroned-newport/|title=New Bishop of Monmouth Cherry Vann enthroned in Newport|date=1 February 2020|work=South Wales Argus|language=en-GB|access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> there were three women bishops, and three men bishops, sitting on the Welsh Bench of Bishops. This situation was maintained in 2021, with [[John Lomas (bishop)|John Lomas]] having been elected as [[Bishop of Swansea and Brecon]] following the resignation of [[John Davies (archbishop of Wales)|John Davies]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Navy aircraft engineer appointed Bishop|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/former-navy-aircraft-engineer-appointed-bishop//|website=Church in Wales|accessdate=7 December 2021|date=4 November 2021}}</ref> In 2022, Stallard's consecration as Assistant Bishop of Bangor meant that a majority of the active bishops in the Church in Wales was female, a situation presumed to be a first in any Anglican church.<ref>[https://mobile.twitter.com/ChurchinWales/status/1497636531707731974 Twitter — Church in Wales] (Accessed 3 March 2022)</ref> Although a Twitter feed suggested that Stallard had joined the "Bench" of bishops, this was a loose use of terminology, as the "Bench" consists of the Archbishop and the other diocesan bishops.<ref>{{cite web|title=Constitution of the Church in Wales - Chapter I: General and definitions and interpretation; Part II: Definitions and interpretation - 7|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/constitution/chapter-i-general-and-definitions-and-interpretation/|access-date=21 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921154027/https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/clergy-and-members/constitution/chapter-i-general-and-definitions-and-interpretation/|archive-date=21 September 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Same-sex unions and LGBT clergy===
{{See also|Homosexuality and the Anglican Communion}}

Beginning in the 1980s, the Church in Wales embarked on an increasingly open stand on various issues including economic justice, the ordination of women and inclusion of homosexual people. In some areas, like human [[Religion and sexuality#Christianity|sexuality]], the church establishment has faced resistance from congregations. In 2005, the church allowed gay priests to enter into [[Civil partnership in the United Kingdom|civil partnerships]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/church-wales-looks-pension-rights-1811046|title=Church in Wales looks at pension rights for clerics' partners.|date=15 September 2011|access-date=6 September 2016}}</ref> "In the wake of civil partnerships, the Welsh Bishops sought legal advice, and told gay partnered clergy that they were welcome, as well as gay ordination candidates."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/2-october/comment/letters-to-the-editor/gay-marriage-in-the-church-in-wales-and-the-issue-of-bisexuality|title=Gay marriage in the Church in Wales; and the issue of bisexuality|website=www.churchtimes.co.uk|access-date=28 April 2018}}</ref> Speaking on such partnerships, it was communicated that "The Church in Wales has no formal view on whether people in civil partnerships who are in a sexual relationship can serve as clergy. If the issue arises, it is up to the relevant Bishop to decide."<ref name=":0" /> Therefore, the Welsh church does not require abstinence for clergy in civil unions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/leading-gay-cleric-jeffrey-john-narrowly-rejected-as-bishop-in-wales/105009.htm|title=Leading Gay Cleric Jeffrey John Narrowly Rejected As Bishop In Wales|website=www.christiantoday.com|date=24 February 2017 |language=en|access-date=9 April 2017}}</ref> Regarding transgender issues, an officer announced that the church believes transgender people "should be acknowledged and celebrated in their new gender."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/funding-sex-change-therapy-wales-2113692|title=Funding sex change therapy in Wales is a life-saver, says transgender journalist|last=Williamson|first=David|date=23 April 2009|access-date=16 September 2016}}</ref> Currently, "the Church has published prayers that may be said with a couple following the celebration of a [same-sex] civil partnership or civil marriage."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/church-wales-written-letter-gay-11148495|title=The Church in Wales has apologised to gay and lesbian people|last=James|first=David|date=6 April 2016|work=walesonline|access-date=2 June 2017}}</ref>

Currently, "the Church in Wales is much more liberal on this issue [than the Church of England]" and is discussing the possibility of blessing or performing same-sex marriages.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-35323627|title=Gay marriage: MP Bryant says church stance 'wrong'|language=en-GB|access-date=29 May 2016|date=15 January 2016}}</ref> In 2018, the Welsh Bishops released a statement saying it was "unjust" to not offer formal provision for same-sex marriages and civil partnerships.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gay-marriage-church-wales-15139880|title=Gay marriage in Welsh churches? Welsh bishops say it is 'unjust' not to|last=Williamson|first=David|date=12 September 2018|work=walesonline|access-date=13 September 2018}}</ref> Following the bishops' announcement, the General Synod voted in favour of requesting formal provision for same-sex couples.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-45503615|title=Provision explored for same sex couples|date=12 September 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=13 September 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> The Welsh Church has decided to move forward with possibly offering same-sex marriage and blessing rites for same-sex unions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Church-in-Wales-to-consider-allowing-gay-marriage|title=Church in Wales to consider allowing gay marriage – Premier|last=Premier|date=13 September 2018|work=Premier|access-date=13 September 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> The [[Diocese of St&nbsp;Asaph]] provides a chaplaincy and services for LGBT people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://stasaph.churchinwales.org.uk/life/steering-groups/engaging/lgbt-chaplaincy/|title=LGBTQIA chaplaincy – The Diocese of St&nbsp;Asaph|website=The Diocese of St&nbsp;Asaph|language=en-GB|access-date=26 May 2017|archive-date=29 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529204818/http://stasaph.churchinwales.org.uk/life/steering-groups/engaging/lgbt-chaplaincy/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Jeffrey John]], who is openly gay and in a [[civil union|civil partnership]], was nearly elected bishop of Llandaff when he "won more than half of a Church in Wales electoral college, but fell short of the two-thirds majority required."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gay-cleric-rejected-bishop-llandaff-12715726|title=Gay cleric 'rejected as Bishop of Llandaff' despite winning half the votes|last=Shipton|first=Martin|date=9 March 2017|work=walesonline|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> As of 2020, the Church in Wales has consecrated a bishop, [[Cherry Vann]], who is openly lesbian and in a civil partnership.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/new-bishops-consecration/|title=New Bishop's consecration|website=Church in Wales|language=en|access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-51274677|title=Gay bishop will not push for same-sex marriage|date=2020-01-28|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-01-29|language=en-GB}}</ref>

"The Anglican Church in Wales took the first steps towards allowing clergy to celebrate same sex marriage in its churches when more than half its Governing Body voted in favour of the move."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.in.wales.shows.support.for.same.sex.marriage/65061.htm|title=Church in Wales shows support for same sex marriage|website=www.christiantoday.com|date=17 September 2015 |language=en|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> In the 2016 results, 52% of the Governing Body voted in favour of allowing same-sex marriages in church.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/3-february/news/uk/the-welsh-church-is-now-a-more-welcoming-place|title=The Welsh Church is now a 'more welcoming place'|website=www.churchtimes.co.uk|access-date=8 October 2017}}</ref> "Members of the Church in Wales Governing Body voted 61 in favour of gay marriages in church, nine in favour of blessing gay partnerships and 50 for making no change."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/church-wales-votes-yes-gay-10078543|title=Church votes YES for gay marriage but it's a long way to real change|last=Wightwick|first=Abbie|date=17 September 2015|work=walesonline|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> As a result of the majority support for same-sex couples, but not a two-thirds majority needed to create a same-sex marriage ceremony, the church's Bench of Bishops affirmed members in same-sex relationships and "published a series of prayers which may be said with a couple following the celebration of a civil partnership or civil marriage."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stasaph.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2016/09/the-uks-first-lgbtqia-chaplaincy-officially-launched/|title=The UK's first LGBTQIA chaplaincy officially launched – The Diocese of St&nbsp;Asaph|website=The Diocese of St&nbsp;Asaph|language=en-GB|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2016/04/same-sex-marriage-statement/|title=Same-sex marriage statement|last=Anna|first=Morrell|website=The Church in Wales|language=en-US|access-date=7 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410152855/http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2016/04/same-sex-marriage-statement/|archive-date=10 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livingchurch.org/unofficial-blessings-wales|title=Unofficial Blessings in Wales – The Living Church|website=www.livingchurch.org|access-date=11 May 2016|date=30 November 2001}}</ref> The service, in Form One, gives God thanks "for [the two people] who have found such love and companionship in each other, that it has led them to dedicate their lives in support of one another."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Prayers that may be said with a couple following the Celebration of a Civil Partnership or Civil Marriage|publisher=Church in Wales|year=2016|pages=1}}</ref> In September 2021, the Church in Wales voted to "formally bless same-sex couples" instead (by way of [[debate]] and [[compromise]]) – but still not legally recognising [[same-sex marriage]] within titles of the Church officially.<ref>{{cite news |date= 6 September 2021 |title= Church in Wales to give blessings for same-sex marriages |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58427926 |work= BBC News |access-date= 7 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |date=2021-09-06 |title=Church in Wales votes to bless same-sex marriages |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/06/church-in-wales-votes-to-bless-same-sex-marriages |access-date=2021-09-07 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Alcindor |first=Nicole |date=2021-09-08 |title=Church in Wales to allow pastors to bless same-sex marriages, won't conduct gay weddings |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/church-in-wales-to-allow-pastors-to-bless-same-sex-marriages.html |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2025, the Church in Wales elected Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales, making her the first woman to serve as Archbishop in the United Kingdom and the first openly LGBTQ and partnered bishop to be a [[Primate (bishop)|Primate]] within the Anglican Communion.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Swerling |first=Gabriella |date=2025-07-30 |title=UK’s first female archbishop appointed |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/30/lesbian-becomes-uks-first-female-archbishop/ |access-date=2025-07-30 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-30 |title=Cherry Vann announced as new Archbishop of Wales |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czd057neeljo |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Michael |first=Mark |date=2025-07-30 |title=Wales Elects First Female Archbishop |url=https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/wales-elects-first-female-archbishop/ |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=The Living Church |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Ecumenical relations===
Following the similar step taken by the Church of England in 1932, and other Anglican provinces, the Church in Wales entered into [[full communion|intercommunion]] with the [[Old Catholic Church|Old Catholics]] in 1937.<ref>{{cite web|title= Canons of the Church in Wales: Establishment of Intercommunion between the Church in Wales and the Old Catholics (30 September 1937)|url= https://docest.com/canons-of-the-church-in-wales |website=Docest.com|access-date=12 June 2021}}</ref> The Church in Wales has also been a member of the [[Porvoo Communion]] since September 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Porvoo Communion - Statement |url= http://porvoocommunion.org/porvoo_communion/statement/|access-date=11 June 2021|website=www.porvoocommunion.org}}</ref> Due to the Anglo-Catholic dominance, relations with the Free Churches (formerly known during establishment times as Nonconformists), ecumenical progress has been slower in Wales than in England.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} The Church in Wales is a member of the [[Covenanted Churches in Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Covenanted Churches within Cytun|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/europe/united-kingdom/covenanted-churches-within-cytun|website=www.oikoumene.org|publisher=World Council of Churches|access-date=28 March 2017|language=en}}</ref> A covenant (with church unity as an ultimate goal) was signed by the Church in Wales, the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church of Wales, the United Reformed Church, and some Baptist churches in 1982 under the title of ''Enfys'' ("rainbow").

==See also==
*[[Cytûn]] – Churches Together in Wales
*[[List of archdeacons in the Church in Wales]]
*[[List of Church in Wales churches]]
*[[Religion in Wales]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Muss-Arnolt|first=William |authorlink=William Muss-Arnolt|title=The Book of Common Prayer Among the Nations of the World: A History of Translations of the Prayer Book of the Church of England and of the Protestant Episcopal Church of America...a Study Based Mainly on the Collection of Josiah Henry Benton|url=http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/Muss-Arnolt/ch7&8.htm|year=1914|publisher=[[Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge]]|location=London}}

==Further reading==
*D T W Price, ''A History of the Church in Wales in the Twentieth Century'' (Church in Wales Publications, 1990)
*[[Charles Green (bishop)|Charles A H Green]], DD, ''The Setting of the Constitution of the Church in Wales'' (Sweet and Maxwell, 1937)

==External links==
*[http://www.churchinwales.org.uk Church in Wales website]
*[https://churchheritagecymru.org.uk/home Church Heritage Cymru: online database of Church in Wales churches]
*{{UK-LEG|path=ukpga/Geo5/4-5/91/part/I|title=Welsh Church Act 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. 5 c. 91|type=ukpga)}}

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{{World Council of Churches}}
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[[Category:Church in Wales| ]]
[[Category:Anglican Communion church bodies|Wales]]
[[Category:Religion in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Members of the World Council of Churches]]
[[Category:Ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican Communion in Europe]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1920]]
[[Category:1920 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Christian denominations in Wales]]