The leader of the Anglican Communion’s Church of Nigeria spoke out Oct. 6 on behalf of his ecclesial community, which is strongly against the Church of England electing a woman who supports same-sex “marriage” to be the next archbishop of Canterbury.
According to news outlet WORLD, the Church of Nigeria’s message was that it rejects Sarah Mullally’s leadership as the new Anglican archbishop of Canterbury.
Mullally’s election “is a devastating one that ignores the current situation and challenges being faced by the Anglican Communion,” Anglican Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, Metropolitan of the Church of Nigeria, stated in an Oct. 6 message.
“It is a double jeopardy,” he continued. “First, in its insensitivity to the conviction of the majority of Anglicans who are unable to embrace female headship in the episcopate, and second, more disturbing that Bishop Sarah Mullally is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage as evidenced in her speech in 2023, after a vote to approve the blessings of homosexuals when she described the result as a ‘moment of hope for the Church.’”
It is yet to be seen how Mullally “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,” he added. “This election is a further confirmation that the global Anglican world could no longer accept the leadership of the Church of England and that of the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
According to WORLD, the Anglican Communion consists of a coalition spread throughout 165 countries. The outlet also reports that the Church of Nigeria signaled in its statement that moving forward it would be looking to the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which is “working to reform the Anglican Communion in line with Biblical orthodoxy.”
GAFCON issued a statement Oct. 3 that Mullally’s appointment “abandons global Anglicans, as the Church of England has chosen a leader who will further divide an already split Communion… Today’s appointment makes it clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead. The reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of Gafcon, and we are ready to take the lead.”
GAFCON said it is summoning orthodox Anglican bishops from around the world to an assembly in Nigeria from March 3-6, 2026.
Anglican Archbishop Ndukuba said at the conclusion of his statement that the Church of Nigeria, as a member of the GAFCON, “affirms, the GAFCON position unreservedly, and reaffirm our earlier stance to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism and holy Christian living, irrespective of the ongoing revisionist agenda, believing our Lord Jesus Christ has built His church and ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’
“We encourage all faithful brothers and sisters in the Church of England who have consistently rejected the aberration called same-sex marriage and other ungodly teachings,” he added, “by contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).”