By BM
As Dame Sarah Mullally prepares to be enthroned as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman in the role in the Church of England’s history, the Anglican Communion finds itself not on the brink of crisis, but firmly within it.
While her appointment has been hailed in the UK and across parts of the West as a triumph of progress, inclusivity, and ecclesiastical reform, it has simultaneously triggered a vehement backlash from large swathes of the global Anglican Church, particularly in the Global South.
The response has been sharp, the consequences potentially historic.
What began decades ago as theological disagreement over sexuality and biblical authority has now matured into an all-but-official schism—one that Mullally’s elevation appears to have finalized in the eyes of many.
“This appointment abandons global Anglicans,” wrote The Most Rev. Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council. “The Church of England has chosen a leader who will further divide an already split Communion.”
A Historic Appointment, a Deepening Tensions
Sarah Mullally, formerly Bishop of London and a former Chief Nursing Officer in the NHS, was ordained in 2006 and broke new ground when she became the first female Bishop of London in 2018—the Church’s third-highest office.
Admired in the UK for her calm leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and her emphasis on pastoral care, Mullally’s selection as Archbishop of Canterbury was seen by many as a logical next step in the Church of England’s evolution toward a more inclusive leadership.
But not everyone saw her rise as cause for celebration.
For conservative provinces within the 85-million-member Anglican Communion, particularly those aligned with GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA), her appointment is a grievous sign of Canterbury’s continued drift from orthodox Christianity.
“Our sadness about this appointment stems from her support and advocacy for unbiblical positions on sexuality and same-sex marriage,” said Archbishop Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu of Uganda. “This reveals her departure from the historic Anglican positions that uphold the authority of Scripture for faith and life.”
Kaziimba, a leading voice within GAFCON, declared that the Church of Uganda no longer recognizes the Archbishop of Canterbury as the spiritual head of global Anglicanism.
“With this appointment, the Archbishop of Canterbury is reduced simply to the Primate of All England,” he stated, reiterating the position first announced in the 2023 GAFCON Kigali Commitment.
The Church of England has not yet formally responded to these statements.
The End of Canterbury’s Moral Authority?
In his statement on October 3, Dr Mbanda criticized not only the fact of Mullally’s gender but also her theology, accusing her of having “failed to guard the faith” and promoting revisionist teachings.
“When she was consecrated in 2015, she took an oath to ‘banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrine contrary to God’s Word.’ And yet, far from banishing such doctrine, Bishop Mullally has repeatedly promoted unbiblical teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality,” he said.
Mbanda referenced her 2023 comment that some same-sex relationships could be blessed and her vote in favor of allowing such blessings within the Church of England. In doing so, Mbanda argued, Mullally had undermined Article XX of the Church’s foundational doctrine, which states the Church has no authority to ordain anything contrary to Scripture.
“The Church cannot bless or affirm what God has condemned… this, however, is precisely what Bishop Mullally has sought to allow.”
Therefore, GAFCON concluded, Mullally can no longer serve as a credible leader of the Anglican Communion.
This follows a growing trend. In 2023, the GAFCON and GSFA primates jointly declared that Canterbury had “forfeited the right to be recognized” as a global moral and spiritual authority after the Church of England introduced blessings for same-sex unions.
For GAFCON, the final line has been crossed.
“Today’s appointment makes it clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead,” Mbanda stated. “The reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of GAFCON, and we are ready to take the lead.”
To underscore that resolve, GAFCON has announced a *G26 Bishops Assembly* in Abuja, Nigeria, set for March 2026. The gathering is being framed as the most significant realignment event since GAFCON’s founding in Jerusalem in 2008.
A Communion Long in Crisis
The current rift is the culmination of tensions that date back at least to 2003, when the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated Gene Robinson, an openly gay bishop. That decision was widely condemned by conservative provinces, particularly in Africa and Asia, and began what many called the “tearing of the fabric of the Communion.”
Further cracks emerged with debates over women’s ordination, biblical authority, and the role of tradition in Anglican doctrine. Over time, entire provinces began to distance themselves from Canterbury’s leadership, and parallel networks like GAFCON and GSFA were formed to preserve traditional Anglican beliefs.
“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,” Mbanda asserted.
The Church of England, meanwhile, has continued to reposition itself as a national church attempting to respond to cultural and political change within British society. It argues that it is evolving—not abandoning—its mission.
Yet, for many in the Global South, the Church of England is now viewed as an institution more shaped by Western media and political ideology than Scripture.
“This is not merely a matter of gender,” said a GAFCON bishop. “It is about whether our convictions and biblical interpretations are respected—or simply ignored.”
The Canterbury Question
Traditionally, the Archbishop of Canterbury served as the “first among equals” in the Anglican Communion, chairing key gatherings like the Lambeth Conference, the Primates Meeting, and the Anglican Consultative Council. Though without legal authority over other provinces, Canterbury has long symbolized unity.
But that symbolism has eroded. As conservative provinces now declare openly that they no longer recognize the Archbishop’s spiritual authority, the Communion faces an existential question: Can a spiritual family survive when it no longer agrees on who sits at the table—or who leads it?
“The tear in the fabric of the Anglican Communion has now reached the highest level,” said Archbishop Kaziimba. “There appears to be no repentance.”
During a decade marked by declining membership in the West and rapid growth in the Global South, the clash between progressive Anglicanism and conservative biblical orthodoxy has intensified, and no leader—whether Justin Welby or Sarah Mullally—has been able to heal the breach.
What Comes Next?
The enthronement of Sarah Mullally is expected in early 2026. She will face the immense task of leading a historic institution that now holds diminishing spiritual authority beyond England’s borders.
She also inherits the fallout of a scandal that ended her predecessor’s tenure: Justin Welby resigned after an inquiry revealed he failed to act against serial abuser John Smyth, despite being aware of allegations in 2013. That scandal left deep wounds in the Church’s moral credibility.
In the short term, GAFCON is preparing for G26. The Church of Uganda and its allies remain defiant and energized.
“We remain committed to a worldwide communion of Anglicans who proclaim the historic and biblical faith,” Kaziimba said. “We will proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations.”
The Church of England remains silent for now. But the silence speaks volumes.
Conclusion: Communion or Confession?
The Anglican Communion now appears to face a defining choice: whether to continue as a fractured institution held together by historical inertia, or to undergo a formal realignment that recognizes the growing divergence in theology, ecclesiology, and leadership.
In either case, the appointment of Sarah Mullally may well mark the end of an era—one in which Canterbury served as a global spiritual center. Whether a new center will emerge, or whether Anglicanism will become a loosely affiliated family of national churches, remains to be seen.
One thing is clear: what once held the Communion together shared doctrine, mutual recognition, spiritual authority, no longer binds.
As GAFCON leaders and African primates declare independence from Canterbury, and Western media celebrates a “landmark moment for women,” the question is not simply who leads Anglicanism.
The deeper question is: what is Anglicanism now? (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
