The appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1,400-years of the role, looks set to divide, rather than unite, the world’s 85 million Anglicans.
As Bishop of London she led the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith consultation on marriage, sexuality and gender identity which paved the way for its approval of same-sex blessings.
Christian Today reports her appointment has been contentious among conservative Anglicans because of her liberal views on marriage and sexuality.
Most Anglican groups outside the UK and the US are not so liberal and greeted her promotion with “sorrow”.
BIGGEST ANGLICAN MOVEMENT “DISAPPOINTED”
The conservative church movement known as GAFCON which represents 85% of all Anglicans, is disappointed for two main reasons.
Its Primates Council chairman Reverend Laurent Mbanda said most Anglicans, especially those in Africa, still believe the head of the church should be male.
He added there was even greater concern that the new Archbishop had repeatedly promoted unBiblical teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.
“Due to the failure of successive Archbishops of Canterbury to guard the faith, the office can no longer function as a credible leader of Anglicans, let alone a focus of unity,” he continued.
NEW ANGLICAN CHURCH HEAD: SAME-SEX BLESSINGS “A MOMENT OF HOPE”
“When she was consecrated in 2015, Bishop Mullaly took an oath to banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrine contrary to God’s Word,” Reverend Mbanda said.
“And yet, far from banishing such doctrine, she has repeatedly promoted unBiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.”
After the Church of England’s General Synod approved same-sex blessings in February 2023, then Bishop Mullally called it a “moment of hope” for the Church.
She told a reporter that “stable, faithful relationships” between two men or two women could be blessed.
That’s in clear contradiction to historic Christian teaching and the Church of England’s own official doctrines.
“DAME SARAH’S APPOINTMENT IS A “MISSED OPPORTUNITY”
The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) added its voice to traditionalist Anglicans who have responded to her appointment with dismay.
GSFA Chairman and South Sudan Primate, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, said that her endorsement of the Church of England’s same-sex blessings meant that the GSFA would have to adopt the same stance as it did with her predecessor, Justin Welby.
It formally rejected him as spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion after he backed the blessings.
“While we shall of course pray for Bishop Mullally as she assumes this historic position, we feel compelled to say that we feel this appointment is a missed opportunity to reunite and reform the Anglican Communion,” said Archbishop Badi.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
With Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel on leave, his commissary Bishop Peter Hayward put out a statement saying:
“We acknowledge the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the Archbishop of Canterbury with a spirit of prayerful reflection and gospel-centred concern.”
But he expressed reservations:
“We also recognise that this appointment comes at a time of profound theological tension within the Anglican Communion.”
“SUCCESSIVE ARCHBISHOPS HAVE FORFEITED THE TRUST OF ORTHODOX ANGLICANS”
“The recent trajectory of the English Church — particularly regarding issues of human sexuality, Biblical authority, and unity — has caused deep concern among those who hold to the historic and reformed teachings of Scripture,” Bishop Hayward continued.
“Her public comments show she has strayed from the clear teaching of scripture and promoted serious error that will neither advance unity, nor the mission of the church.”
“However, due to a tragic failure to uphold Biblical teaching, successive Archbishops have forfeited the trust of orthodox Anglicans, who now look to other leaders.”
“APPOINTMENT DEMONSTRATES THE IMPOSITION OF THE WORLDVIEW OF WESTERN ELITES”
Bishop Hayward concluded: “The Church of England and its new leadership must urgently return to the message of faith, hope, and love entrusted to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Andy Lines, Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Network in Europe, which is aligned with GAFCON, said the appointment of Bishop Mullally “demonstrates the imposition of the worldview of elites from the Western world rather than a desire to engage with and unite faithful Anglicans from different cultures for the sake of Gospel mission”.
Dame Sarah will be installed in a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral next March.
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