The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has condemned the england-appoints-first-female-archbishop-of-canterbury-in-history/">appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, calling the move “devastating” and “insensitive” to the beliefs of the majority of Anglicans worldwide.
In a statement signed by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church said the decision by the Church of England ignored the deep divisions within the global Anglican Communion.
“The news of the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally on Friday, 3rd October 2025, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury is devastating, one that ignores the current situation and challenges being faced by the Anglican Communion,” the statement read.
According to Ndukuba, the appointment presents “a double jeopardy” — first, for being insensitive to the conviction of the majority of Anglicans who do not accept female leadership in the episcopate, and second, because Mullally is a “strong supporter of same-sex marriage.”
The Church cited her 2023 speech after the Church of England voted to bless same-sex unions, where she described the decision as “a moment of hope for the Church.”
A Communion in Crisis
The Nigerian Anglican leadership questioned how Mullally could unite a global communion already fractured by long-standing doctrinal disputes.
“It remains to be seen how the same person hopes to mend the already torn fabric of the Anglican Communion by the contentious same-sex marriage, which has caused an enormous crisis across the entire Anglican Communion for over two decades,” the statement said.
It added that the development confirms why many Anglican provinces, including Nigeria’s, can no longer accept the leadership of the Church of England or the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Nigeria Reaffirms Loyalty to GAFCON
Reasserting its commitment to the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) movement, the Church of Nigeria vowed to uphold the authority of the Scriptures and resist what it described as “revisionist doctrines.”
Ndukuba said, “We affirm the GAFCON position unreservedly and reaffirm our stance to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism, and holy Christian living, irrespective of the ongoing revisionist agenda.”
He also encouraged members of the Church of England who oppose same-sex marriage to “contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).
Mullally’s appointment, approved by King Charles III after a recommendation from a nomination committee, makes her the first woman in history to become Archbishop of Canterbury.
At 63, she succeeds Justin Welby, who resigned earlier in the year amid a clergy abuse scandal. Her appointment marks a historic moment for the Church of England — the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which traces its origins to the sixth century.
Whether her leadership will unify or further divide the Anglican family remains to be seen.
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