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Church of Nigeria Cuts Ties With Church Of England Over Appointment Of Archbishop Sarah Mullally

BySodiq Yusuf

PublishedOctober 8, 2025

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has formally severed spiritual ties with the Church of England following the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

In a strongly worded statement signed by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba, the Church condemned the announcement made on Friday, October 3, 2025, describing it as “devastating” and “insensitive.”

According to the statement, the decision marks a deep moral and theological decline within the leadership of the Anglican Communion.

“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 even more troubling that Bishop Sarah Mullally is a strong supporter of same-s** marriage,” the statement read.

The Nigerian Church recalled Bishop Mullally’s 2023 remarks following the Church of England’s vote to approve blessings for same-s** couples — a move she described at the time as “a moment of hope” for the Church. The statement noted that her position had already “deepened the wounds tearing at the unity of the Anglican Communion.”

“It remains to be seen how the same person hopes to mend the already torn fabric of the Anglican Communion through a contentious policy that has caused enormous crisis across the Communion for over two decades,” the Church added.

Sodiq Yusuf

Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.