Breaking: Anglican Church of Nigeria Officially Cuts Ties with Church of England, Reasons Emerge

• The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has cut spiritual ties with the Church of England over the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury
• The Nigerian Church condemned her support for same-sex marriage, calling it proof of “moral and theological decline” within the Anglican Communion
• Reaffirming loyalty to GAFCON, the Church vowed to uphold conservative biblical teachings and urged global Anglicans to reject liberal reforms

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

The Nigerian Church described her elevation, as the first woman to occupy the position, and her support for same-sex marriage as evidence of what it called “a deepening moral and theological decline” within the leadership of the Anglican Communion.

Church calls appointment ‘devastating and insensitive’

In a statement signed by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba, the Church condemned the appointment, which was announced on Friday, 3 October 2025.

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“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 more disturbing that Bishop Sarah Mullally is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage,” the statement said.

The Church said the decision of the Church of England ignored existing divisions within the global Anglican Communion and undermined efforts to preserve doctrinal unity.

Concerns over same-sex blessings

The statement cited Bishop Mullally’s 2023 remarks following the Church of England’s vote to approve blessings for same-sex couples, where she described the move as “a moment of hope” for the Church.

“It remains to be seen how the same person hopes to mend the already torn fabric of the Anglican Communion by the contentious same-sex marriage, which has caused enormous crisis across the Communion for over two decades,” the Church added.

Nigeria reaffirms loyalty to GAFCON movement

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Describing the development as a defining moment, the Church of Nigeria said it would henceforth align solely with the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and uphold its conservative biblical stance.

“On our part, as a member of the GAFCON family, the Church of Nigeria affirms the GAFCON position unreservedly and reaffirms our earlier stance to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism, and holy Christian living, irrespective of the ongoing revisionist agenda,” the statement read.

Appeal to conservative Anglicans worldwide

The Church urged like-minded Anglicans across the world to remain steadfast in defending the Bible’s authority and rejecting teachings that undermine traditional Christian doctrine.

“We encourage all faithful brothers and sisters in the Church of England who have consistently rejected the aberration called same-sex marriage and other ungodly teachings by contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3),” the statement said.

The declaration marks one of the most significant breaks within global Anglicanism in recent years, deepening the rift between traditionalist and liberal factions of the Communion.

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Observers say the Church of Nigeria’s decision underscores growing resistance among African churches against what they describe as Western liberal influence on Christian doctrine.

Anglican Church speaks on APC's Muslim-Muslim ticket

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemned in strong terms the APC's Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

Rev. Dr. Duke Akamisoko, the Anglican Bishop of Kubwa Diocese, said the same faith ticket shows APC is insensitive to the plurality of religions in Nigeria. Akamisoko added that the APC's action is an insult to northern Christians who are members of the ruling party.

Source: Legit.ng