A powerful coalition of African Anglican leaders has sharply criticised the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, accusing the Church of England of abandoning biblical truth by endorsing same-sex blessings.
The statement, issued by the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) , representing the majority of the world’s 100 million Anglicans, expressed “deep grief and disappointment” following Mullally’s historic appointment as the first woman to hold the position. While her elevation was widely celebrated across the United Kingdom as a landmark for gender equality, it has reignited deep theological and cultural divisions within the global Anglican Communion.
At the heart of the rift lies the Church of England’s decision earlier this year to allow clergy to bless same-sex couples , a move strongly opposed by churches across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The GSFA said it could not “walk together” with leadership that “abandons the clear teaching of Scripture regarding marriage and human sexuality.”
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“The Church in the Global South cannot endorse leadership that affirms what God’s Word calls sin,” the statement declared. “We love our brothers and sisters in England, but truth cannot be compromised for cultural acceptance.”
The Church of Uganda went further, describing Mullally’s appointment as “sad news,” claiming it reflected the Church of England’s “unbiblical” stance on marriage. Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba condemned the move as “a grievous decision at the highest levels of the Church of England to separate itself from the vast majority of the global Anglican Communion.”
The Ugandan church, alongside those in Nigeria and Kenya, has long clashed with its Western counterparts over issues such as same-sex marriage and the ordination of women. In 2023, Uganda passed one of the world’s harshest anti-homosexuality laws, which carries the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” — legislation widely condemned by Western leaders, including former Archbishop Justin Welby, who resigned earlier this year amid a safeguarding scandal.
Mullally, 63, a former midwife and England’s ex-Chief Nursing Officer, has described herself as a feminist and has publicly supported the Church’s policy of allowing same-sex blessings while maintaining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. She said the Church’s challenge is to “offer grace without rejection.”
In her response at Lambeth Palace, Mullally urged unity and empathy despite sharp divisions. “I understand there are strong feelings across the Communion,” she said. “But the call of Christ is to love one another — even when we disagree. My hope is that we continue to pray, talk, and work together in humility.”
However, many conservative provinces remain unmoved. The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), an alliance of traditionalist churches formed in 2023, reiterated that it “no longer recognises the Archbishop of Canterbury as having global authority,” instead viewing the role merely as the Primate of All England.
Mullally’s enthronement, expected early next year, will formally make her the most senior cleric in the Church of England and the symbolic spiritual head of Anglicans worldwide. But as she prepares to assume office, she faces the monumental task of leading a Communion increasingly split over faith, culture, and the modern world.
