The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has strongly opposed the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, describing the decision as “devastating” and insensitive to the realities within the global Anglican Communion.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 6, 2025, and signed by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba, the church expressed deep reservations about the announcement made last Friday, October 3, 2025.
According to the Primate, the choice of Bishop Mullally presents what he called a “double jeopardy.” First, her identity as a female bishop remains unacceptable to a large number of Anglicans worldwide. Second, and more troubling for the Nigerian church, is her open support for same-sex marriage.
“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 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 Communion for over two decades,” Ndukuba said.
He stressed that the development is a confirmation that the Church of England, and by extension the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, can no longer command the confidence of the wider global Anglican family.
Reaffirming its membership of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), the Church of Nigeria insisted it would continue to uphold the authority of Scripture, historic creeds, evangelism, and holy Christian living “irrespective of the ongoing revisionist agenda.”
Quoting Matthew 16:18, Ndukuba assured Nigerian Anglicans that “our Lord Jesus Christ has built His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
He further encouraged Anglicans within the Church of England who reject same-sex marriage and what he termed “ungodly teachings” to remain steadfast, referencing Jude 1:3 as a call to “contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.”
The message ended with a prayer: “May the Spirit of the Good Shepherd continue to guide His Church. Amen.”
