African church rejects new female archbishop of Canterbury
The Anglican Church of Nigeria has formally rejected the appointment of the first-ever female archbishop of Canterbury.
Nigerian archbishop, metropolitan and primate of the Church of Nigeria, Henry Ndukuba, described the election of Sarah Mullally as “a double jeopardy” – first for imposing female headship on those who cannot accept it, and second for promoting “a strong supporter of same-sex marriage.”
In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, Ndukuba questioned how Mullally “hopes to mend the already torn fabric of the Anglican Communion” given ongoing debates over same-sex marriage.
He said Nigeria, as part of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON), “reaffirms [its] earlier stance to uphold the authority of the Scriptures” and rejects what he called “the revisionist agenda” within parts of the Communion.
“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,” Ndukuba stated.
GAFCON itself expressed “sorrow” over Mullally’s appointment, saying the Church of England had “abandoned global Anglicans” and lost its moral leadership. The Church of England has not yet commented on the Nigerian statement.
Mullally, 63, was appointed the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday after her nomination was approved by King Charles III. She is set to take office in January following final confirmation by Church of England leaders and will be the first woman in the position.
Across much of sub-Saharan Africa, Anglican and other Christian churches maintain traditional views on marriage and gender. The Church of Nigeria, one of the largest Anglican provinces, defines marriage strictly as a union between a man and a woman and does not ordain women as priests or bishops.
In Kenya, while Bishop Rose Okeno’s consecration marked a historic breakthrough, women in episcopal leadership remain rare, and same-sex unions are firmly rejected. Similar conservative positions prevail in Uganda and most of East and West Africa. The main exception is the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which permits women bishops but continues to uphold traditional teaching on marriage.
