The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has formally rejected the authority of the Church of England following the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury, citing concerns over her support for same-sex marriage and her position as the first woman to hold the office.
In a statement issued by the Primate, the Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, the Church described the announcement on Friday, 3 October 2025, as “devastating” and “insensitive,” arguing that it disregards the convictions of a majority of Anglicans globally.
“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 said.
The Church of Nigeria recalled Bishop Mullally’s comments following the Church of England’s 2023 vote to approve blessings for same-sex couples, in which she described the decision as “a moment of hope.” The Nigerian Church argued that such positions exacerbate existing divisions within the Anglican Communion, which have persisted for over two decades.
“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 said.
By rejecting the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of Nigeria affirmed its alignment with the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and reiterated its commitment to biblical authority, historic creeds, evangelism, and traditional Christian teachings.
“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 statement added.
The Church called on conservative Anglicans in England and elsewhere to resist what it described as “ungodly teachings” and to defend biblical truth.
“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 said.
