The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has strongly criticized the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, describing the decision as a “devastating” development that disregards the current challenges facing the Anglican Communion.
In a statement released by the Archbishop, Metropolitan, and Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, and made available to The Telegraph, the church expressed deep concerns over the appointment announced on Friday, October 3, 2025.
The statement read: “The news of Bishop Sarah Mullally’s appointment is devastating. It ignores the prevailing situation and ongoing challenges within the Anglican Communion. This is a double jeopardy: first, it shows insensitivity to the convictions of the majority of Anglicans who do not accept female leadership in the episcopate. Second, and more troubling, is Mullally’s strong support for same-sex marriage. In her 2023 speech following the approval of blessings for homosexual unions, she described the outcome as a ‘moment of hope for the Church.’”
The Church of Nigeria questioned how Mullally could hope to heal the fractured Anglican Communion when the issue of same-sex marriage has been a divisive crisis for over two decades.
The statement further asserted that Mullally’s election signals a growing disconnect between the global Anglican community and the leadership of the Church of England, including the Archbishop of Canterbury. It reaffirmed the Church of Nigeria’s alignment with the GAFCON movement, emphasizing a commitment to the authority of Scripture, historic Christian creeds, evangelism, and holy living in the face of what it described as a revisionist agenda.
“We stand with all faithful members of the Church of England who reject same-sex marriage and other teachings they consider ungodly, urging them to ‘contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints’ (Jude 1:3),” the statement concluded.
Background on Mullally’s appointment
Bishop Sarah Mullally, 63, was officially named the new Archbishop of Canterbury last Friday, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England, a church tracing its origins back to the Roman Empire and serving as the mother church of the global Anglican Communion.
Her nomination, made by a committee charged with selecting Justin Welby’s successor following his resignation earlier this year amid an abuse scandal, was ratified by King Charles III and the UK government.
Mullally becomes the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position dating back to the late sixth century.
