The Church of England has confirmed that the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, will take on the role of Archbishop of Canterbury — but instead of celebration, the global response has been marked by shock, disappointment, and unprecedented criticism.

Once, the Archbishop of Canterbury was recognised as the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion — the “first among equals” for Anglicans everywhere. But that authority has been dramatically eroded in recent years, especially after the GAFCON and Global South movements declared in 2023 that they no longer recognised Canterbury’s leadership, citing the Church of England’s decision to bless same-sex relationships as a betrayal of biblical truth.

As the GAFCON Kigali Commitment put it:

“Public statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other leaders of the Church of England in support of same-sex blessings are a betrayal of their ordination and consecration vows to banish error and to uphold and defend the truth taught in Scripture.”

With GAFCON and the Global South together representing as much as 85% of global Anglicans, Sarah Mullally will now lead a communion that is, in practical terms, far smaller and more fractured than it was at the start of Justin Welby’s tenure.

So what does this appointment mean for the future of Anglicanism? 

Joining us today are three leading voices (statements from their organisations are linked):

• Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, Primate of Rwanda and Chair of the GAFCON movement.
• Dr Lee Gatiss, Director of the Church Society in the UK.
• And Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe’s, Oxford, and a key leader in the evangelical Alliance within the Church of England.

See also George Owers article in The Critic: The Lanyard Class Archbishop.

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