A new archbishop of Canterbury has been elected. She is Dame Sarah Mullally. By her election she becomes the 106th cleric to lead the over 500 years congregation. The announcement was made on Friday 3rd October, 2025. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Anglican (Episcopal) Church worldwide.
Sarah Mullally was elected almost a year after the previous Archbishop, Sir Justin Welby, resigned over criticism of his handling of a historical sexual abuse case within the Church.
However her emergence, though historic has been enmeshed in some controversies which some members believed could further affect the strength and unity of the communion.
Bishop Sarah Mullally has been faulted first by the emergence of a female archbishop for the first time in the history of the Church. It was believed that the position of number one of the Anglican fold was a position reserved for men, but Dame Sarah Mullally has broken that jinx. The conservatives are saddened by the choice against their belief that “the Bible teaches that a woman should not teach or exercise authority over men in the Church” quoting 1Timothy 2:12.
Her election has also been criticised for her stance over a number of controversial issues affecting some old doctrines of the Church.
Dame Sarah Mullally, a trained nurse who later became England’s Chief Nursing Officer has been criticised for her views expressed over abortion and same sex matters.
According to her critics, she is pro-choice on abortion and in favour of blessing same sex couples. It is argued that “this move can only deepen the divide between Episcopalians who follow the Word and those who follow the world.”
Her Profile
Dame Sarah, who is 63, hails from Woking in Surrey and formerly worked as a nurse; from 1999 to 2004 she served as Chief Nursing Officer for England, the youngest person to do so. She was ordained as an Anglican priest in 2002. Between 2015 and 2017, she served as Bishop of Crediton, followed by serving as Bishop of London.
Dame Sarah is married to Eamonn Mullally, an Irish-born IT architect, and they have two children, Liam and Grace.
She will officially begin her time in office in January, following the enthronement ceremony and homage to the King.
Her response, “Today as I respond to the call of Christ in this new ministry I remain rooted in my first calling to follow Christ, to know him and to make him known in the world.”
GAFCON reacts
However, a group of Anglican Bishops, GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) has rejected the appointment of Sarah Mullally as first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Calling for a reset of the Anglican Communion.
In a letter addressed to Anglicans worldwide, GAFCON Chairman, The Most Reverend Dr. Laurent Mbanda, expressed sorrow over the announcement, warning that the decision by the Church of England “abandons global Anglicans” and risks deepening existing divisions within the Communion.
GAFCON emphasized that while some may celebrate Mullally’s historic rise as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, the majority of Anglicans worldwide uphold the biblical principle of a male-only episcopacy. The letter also accused Mullally of compromising her consecration vows by supporting revisionist teachings on marriage and same-sex blessings.
Below is the full statement from GAFCON:
To my dear brothers and sisters in our GAFCON family,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The news has finally arrived after months of prayer and long waiting. But it is with sorrow that GAFCON receives the announcement today of the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. This appointment abandons global Anglicans, as the Church of England has chosen a leader who will further divide an already split Communion.
For over a century and a half, the Archbishop of Canterbury functioned not only as the Primate of All England but also as a spiritual and moral leader of the Anglican Communion. In more recent times, the See of Canterbury has been described as one of the four “Instruments of Communion,” whilst also chairing the other three Instruments, namely the Lambeth Conference, the Primates Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.
However, 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. As we made clear in our Kigali Commitment of 2023, we can “no longer recognise the Archbishop of Canterbury as an Instrument of Communion” or the “first among equals” of global Primates.
We had hoped that the Church of England would take this into due consideration as it deliberated over the choice of a new Archbishop of Canterbury and would choose someone who could bring unity to a divided Anglican Communion. Sadly, they have not done so.
Though there are some who will welcome the decision to appoint Bishop Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy. Therefore, her appointment will make it impossible for the Archbishop of Canterbury to serve as a focus of unity within the Communion.
However, more concerning is her failure to uphold her consecration vows. 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 and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.
In 2023, when asked by a reporter whether sexual intimacy in a same-sex relationship is sinful, she said that some such relationships could, in fact, be blessed. She also voted in favour of introducing blessings of same-sex marriage into the Church of England.
Anglicans believe that the church has been given authority by God to establish rites and ceremonies and to settle doctrine controversy, “and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God’s Word” (Article XX). The church cannot bless or affirm what God has condemned (Numbers 23:8; 24:13). This, however, is precisely what Bishop Mullally has sought to allow.
Since the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to guard the faith and is complicit in introducing practices and beliefs that violate both the “plain and canonical sense” of Scripture and “the Church’s historic and consensual” interpretation of it (Jerusalem Statement), she cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion. 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.
GAFCON gathered in Jerusalem in 2008 to reset the Anglican Communion back onto its biblical foundations. Today’s appointment makes it clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead. The reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of Gafcon, and we are ready to take the lead.
For such a time as this, GAFCON has summoned global orthodox Anglican bishops to Abuja, Nigeria, from 3 to 6 March, 2026, for the G26 Bishops Assembly. This may be the most significant gathering of faithful Anglicans since 2008.
Today’s announcement will cause sadness and dismay among Anglicans worldwide. Yet, every morning, Anglicans throughout the world recite the words of Psalm 95: “Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
Today, that is our prayer for all bishops and leaders within the Anglican Communion, including Bishop Sarah Mullally. We pray that as she takes upon herself the weight of this historic office, she will repent, and earnestly work with the Gafcon leadership to mend the torn fabric of our Anglican Communion.
May all our hearts be softened to hear the voice of God in Scripture, and may we all be inclined to obey, as we move out in gospel mission to a lost and hurting world, for the glory of God.
Yours in Christ,
The Most Reverend Dr Laurent Mbanda
Chairman, GAFCON Primates Council
Friday 3rd October, 2025.
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