Canterbury names First Female Archbishop, Prompting Division Within Anglican Communion
LONDON – The appointment of dame Sarah Mullally as the Archbishop of Canterbury has been met with both festivity and staunch opposition within the Anglican Communion. The announcement, welcomed by many as a historic moment, has drawn criticism from the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon), a conservative coalition representing a important portion of the worldwide Anglican population.
Gafcon expressed ”sorrow” over the appointment,citing concerns over Dame Sarah’s support for the blessing of same-sex couples and her gender.Many conservative Christians believe the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy, a view echoed by the Most Reverend Dr Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop of Rwanda and chairman of Gafcon’s leadership council, who stated that “the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy.”
Founded in 2008 in response too theological disagreements, particularly regarding same-sex unions, Gafcon initially called on church leaders deemed to have strayed from “tenets of orthodoxy” to repent.While maintaining they were not seeking a formal split, the group asserted that “Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
Tensions escalated in 2023 when gafcon rejected the leadership of the previous Archbishop of Canterbury,Justin Welby,over proposals to bless same-sex couples,raising fears of a wider schism. Gafcon claims to represent the majority of Anglicans globally, a claim that is disputed.
The appointment has received support from more progressive factions within the Communion. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town, South Africa, described the appointment as “a thrilling development.” Bishop Emily Onyango, the first woman ordained as a bishop in the Anglican Church of Kenya, hailed the news as “a new dawn,” arguing Gafcon’s position is “patriarchal” and ”not very useful to the Church.” She emphasized the need for the new Archbishop to focus on peace and reconciliation, particularly addressing the suffering of women and children.
Though, Bishop Onyango’s stance places her at odds with her own country’s archbishop, a member of Gafcon’s leadership.
Archbishop Mbanda, when asked about the potential for an irreparable rupture, responded via text message that “nothing is irreparable with God, but it requires repentance.” He reiterated Gafcon’s call for those they consider to be in “apostasy” to return to what they believe are the Bible’s teachings.
