While progressives might hail the arrival of the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury in the form of Sarah Mullally, a more orthodox part of the church, primarily in Africa and Asia, is raising alarm over the appointment, saying she “cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion.”
The Anglican church risks losing tens of millions of members after the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon), an organization that represents a majority of the 85 million Anglicans worldwide, stated in a letter on their website that the appointment of Mullally “abandons Anglicans, as the Church of England has chosen a leader who will further divide an already split Communion.”
The Gafcon letter says the failure of successive Archbishops of Canterbury to “guard the faith” means the office can no longer be seen as a credible leader of Anglicans.
Not only is Mullally a woman—something that to a majority of Anglicans is as unthinkable as it would be for Catholics to choose a woman pope—she is also a self-described feminist who has made her way to the top of the church hierarchy while campaigning for the ordination of women. She is also an outspoken supporter of abortion and voted in favor of introducing blessings of homosexual relationships in the Church of England.
Gafcon points out that Mullalley has failed to uphold her consecration vows, which included a commitment to “banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrine contrary to God’s Word.”
“And yet,” the letter states, “far from banishing such doctrine, Bishop Mullally has repeatedly promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.”
“The leadership of the Anglican Communion will pass to those who uphold the truth of the gospel and the authority of Scripture in all areas of life,” Gafcon said, and called for a meeting of orthodox Anglican bishops in Nigeria in March 2025.
“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,” the letter said.
