The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has formally severed ties with the Church of England following the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury — the first woman to hold the position. The Nigerian Church cites Mullally’s outspoken support for same-sex marriage and female episcopal leadership as grounds for its decision.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, The Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, the move was described as “devastating” and “insensitive,” claiming it disregards the theological convictions of the majority of Anglicans worldwide.
“This election is a double jeopardy. First, it disregards the conviction of the majority of Anglicans, who cannot accept female headship in the episcopate; and second, it is more disturbing that Bishop Sarah Mullally is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage,” the statement read.
The Church of Nigeria recalled Bishop Mullally’s public endorsement of the Church of England’s 2023 vote to bless same-sex unions, which she hailed at the time as “a moment of hope.” The Nigerian Church, however, argued that such views have only deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion.
“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 enormous crisis across the Communion,” the statement added.
In rejecting the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury — traditionally regarded as the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion — the Church of Nigeria reaffirmed its alignment with the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a conservative bloc of Anglican churches.
“On our part, as a member of the GAFCON family, the Church of Nigeria affirms the GAFCON position unreservedly, and reaffirms our earlier stance to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism and holy Christian living, irrespective of the ongoing revisionist agenda,” the Church declared.
The statement called on like-minded Anglicans in England and around the world to stand firm in rejecting what it described as “ungodly teachings,” and to remain faithful to traditional Christian doctrine.
“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, by contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3),” the statement urged.
This latest development marks a deepening of the rift within the Anglican Communion, a global network of churches historically linked to the Church of England. Disputes over theology, gender, and sexuality have plagued the Communion for over two decades, with the Church of Nigeria often taking a leading role among conservatives advocating for a return to traditional Christian values.
