Women will compete for the position of Archbishop in the UK in a historic first.

For the first time, a woman might serve as the head of the centuries-old Church of England, which is home to 85 million Anglicans worldwide, when Britain names a new Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday.

A woman can now serve as the senior-most bishop in England’s established church thanks to reforms implemented under former leader Justin Welby, who resigned last year due to a child abuse cover-up scandal. Ten years ago, women were first consecrated as bishops.

“If the incoming Archbishop were a woman, it would be tremendously wonderful. In a history that dates back to 597 AD, that would be the first time. “It would be historic,” Canterbury Dean David Monteith told the BBC.

In his capacity as dean, he will install the new Archbishop in his place of power during a ceremonial ceremony that is anticipated to take place in the upcoming months.

Three female bishops are among the leading candidates.

Leading bookmakers’ lists to become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury include Bishop Sarah Mullally of the important London diocese, Iranian-born Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani, who fled Iran with her parents following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and Bishop Rachel Treweek, the CoE’s first-ever female diocesan bishop.

In addition, media reports have listed Sheffield Bishop Pete Wilcox as a frontrunner. Bishop Martyn Snow resigned from his position as head of the CoE’s procedure to bless same-sex couples, citing his inability to bring the Church together.

For Christians of all denominations and continents, the appointment of a woman to the position of Archbishop would be a turning point that would undoubtedly widen theological gaps about attitudes toward same-sex relationships and the place of women in the church.

Efforts to unite the Church in modern times have been challenged by the Archbishop’s global role, which was molded by the British Empire’s extension of Christianity to its former colonies.

Former officials have had to balance more liberal viewpoints in the West with conservative churches in African countries, where homosexuality is illegal in some.

Only men should be consecrated as bishops, according to the conservative Global Anglican Future Conference, which claims to speak for the majority of Anglicans worldwide and has rejected Welby’s stance on homosexuality.

However, there is still more work to be done, according to the British campaign organization Women and the Church, which released a list of English parishes that it says restrict women’s ministry on the day of the Archbishop’s inauguration.

The monarchy has historically influenced the appointment of archbishops.

With King Charles’ official approval, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office will make the announcement on Friday, reflecting the CoE’s standing as England’s established church.

Since King Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church in the 16th century, Charles has served as the supreme administrator of the CoE.

Due to a convoluted vetting procedure headed by a former spy and involving top bishops and international representatives, the CoE has taken over a year to choose a new leader, in contrast to the Catholic Church, which elected Pope Leo just 17 days following Francis’ death.

Five delegates from the worldwide Anglican Communion, three from Canterbury, and six from the CoE’s governing body made up the commission’s 17 voting members.