Breaking: Nigerian Anglican Church Cuts Ties With Church Of England Over Appointment Of Female Archbishop, Same-Sex Marriage Support

In a historic and dramatic move, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has officially declared its spiritual independence from the Church of England, marking a major rupture in global Anglican unity.

The decision, announced on Monday in a statement signed by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba, follows the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury — the first woman ever to occupy the revered seat.

Describing the development as “devastating, insensitive, and spiritually disastrous,” the Nigerian Anglican leadership accused the Church of England of “ignoring the deep moral and doctrinal divides tearing through the Anglican Communion.”

According to the statement, the appointment of Bishop Mullally — known for her open support for same-sex marriage — represents “a troubling moral decline within the leadership of the Church of England.”

> “This election is a double jeopardy,” the statement declared. “First, it disregards the conviction of the majority of Anglicans worldwide who cannot accept female headship in the episcopate. Second, it is even more disturbing that Bishop Sarah Mullally is a strong advocate of same-sex marriage.”

The Church recalled Mullally’s 2023 remarks after the Church of England voted to bless same-sex unions, where she described the moment as “a sign of hope.” The Nigerian Church said such pronouncements have only “deepened the wounds of division” that have plagued the global Anglican community for over two decades.

> “It remains to be seen how the same person hopes to mend the already torn fabric of the Communion while promoting a policy that has brought the Church to the brink of spiritual collapse,” the Primate added.

Declaring that it would no longer recognize the spiritual authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Church of England, the Church of Nigeria reaffirmed its allegiance to the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) — a conservative bloc of Anglican churches standing for biblical orthodoxy.

> “As a faithful member of the GAFCON family, the Church of Nigeria upholds the authority of the Holy Scriptures, the historic creeds, and the call to holy Christian living,” the statement emphasized. “We reject all revisionist doctrines that undermine the faith once delivered to the saints.”

The Church further urged conservative Anglicans in England and across the world to “remain steadfast in defending the truth of the Gospel” and to “resist every attempt to redefine Christian morality in the name of modernity or inclusion.”

> “We encourage all faithful brothers and sisters within the Church of England who have not bowed to the pressure of secular culture to continue to contend for the faith,” the statement concluded.

This bold declaration cements Nigeria’s position as one of the leading voices of conservative Anglicanism globally and signals a deepening realignment within the worldwide Anglican Communion — a shift that could reshape the spiritual landscape of over 85 million Anglicans across the globe.