New Archbishop poses challenge for evangelicals

Evangelicals in the Church of England are facing fresh challenges following the announcement that Sarah Mullally is to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

The appointment of a woman with liberal views on a number of issues will prove difficult not only for reformed evangelicals in the CofE but for the wider Anglican Communion, which is more conservative than the Church of England.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury issued a short video statement on X in which she introduced herself to the nation.

Evangelicals have been responding to the appointment, with both Rob Munro, the complementarian Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Church of England Evangelical Council, and Church Society commenting within minutes of the news.

There was a particularly strong reaction from Gafcon, the Global Anglican Futures Conference, which describes itself as a "global movement, gathering authentic Anglicans, guarding God’s gospel, growing orthodox leaders, and generating missional resources, for the glory of God!"

Gafcon

Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council, said: "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.

"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'.” 

Rob Munro, Bishop of Ebbsfleet

A statement from Rob Munro, Bishop of Ebbsfleet, who provides oversight for complementarian evangelicals in the denomination, said: "I would like on behalf of the Ebbsfleet Network to offer our congratulations to the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, on her nomination to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

"The appointment of an Archbishop who is a woman will be a significant milestone for our denomination and for the wider Anglican Communion. It presents particular challenges for those who have a complementarian understanding of Scripture, and the roles of men and women in ministry; but Bishop Sarah has a long track record of gracious engagement, and real understanding of the particular theological convictions we hold.

"I have no doubt she will continue to work hard to enable the Five Guiding Principles to be upheld with a clear conscience, and in a way that ‘contributes to mutual flourishing across the whole Church of England’. There is a need to maintain the integrity of my role as a complementarian bishop, called to serve resolution churches across the whole country, yet with a legal title in the Diocese of Canterbury.

"I am confident from my past experience of working with Bishop Sarah in London, that we can work together to ensure my role upholds complementarian, theological convictions and with appropriate spiritual oversight.

"The challenges that we face as the Church of England are ultimately much bigger than our internal organisation – we have a call to serve our nation and to share the message of hope and good news of Jesus with all. That gospel commission is what ultimately unites us as a Church, with Christ as our head, and with the needs of our nation in our hearts," Munro concluded.

Church Society

Conservative evangelical organisation Church Society said: "We offer our congratulations and prayers for her as she prepares to take up this ministry, and we hope to be able to meet with her in due course to discuss the urgent need for reformation and renewal of the Church of England in Biblical faith.

"While the milestone election of a female archbishop creates additional problems of disunity in the Church in England and around the world, we note the positive comments of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet about this here.

"But we need a change of direction, not just of sex. More concerning is the appointment (for the third time in a row to this position) of someone who does not seem to actually hold to the doctrine of the Church of England on marriage and sexual ethics but wants it to change. We pray that at a time when there is serious fracture and distrust on this subject, as there is on serious safeguarding issues as well, that God would give bishop Sarah the wisdom she will need to help restore confidence and credibility to the church."

Affinity

Meanwhile, Graham Nicholls, director of evangelical network Affinity, said on Facebook: "So sad that they have appointed someone in a political process, not a theological one, who doesn't seem to follow the bible's teaching on the gospel, the beginning of life, sexual ethics, or indeed men and women.

"Praying for faithful Anglican friends processing this news and wanting to respond well.

"Praying the true gospel of the Lord Jesus would be preached and lived by our national church."

What does Sarah Mullally believe?

As to her beliefs on various issues, Mullally has previously stated: "I am very respectful of those who, for theological reasons, cannot accept my role as a priest or a bishop. My belief is that Church diversity throughout London should flourish and grow; everybody should be able to find a spiritual home."

On abortion, she has declared: "I would suspect that I would describe my approach to this issue as pro-choice rather than pro-life although if it were a continuum I would be somewhere along it moving towards pro-life when it relates to my choice and then enabling choice when it related to others."

Speaking about the contentious "Prayers of Love and Faith" for same-sex couples, Mullally has said: "Up until now, same-sex couples have had no way of publicly expressing their desire to put God at the centre of their relationship and commitment to one another in a Church of England church. These prayers can be used flexibly for relationships at different stages and in different contexts.

"Services that use these prayers are not marriage services, and their use by clergy is entirely voluntary. This means that the church can continue to embrace the different perspectives that are held by clergy and congregations within the Church of England about same-sex marriage and same-sex relationships."

Mullally has also referred to the Holy Spirit as "she", with the new archbishop saying "she breathes life and warmth into weary places, tired bones, cold homes and wounded relationships".

However, on assisted dying, Mullally takes a more conservative view, stating in relation to the legislation currently passing through the House of Lords that peers "must oppose a law that puts the vulnerable at risk and instead work to improve funding and access to desperately needed palliative care services..."

Abuse survivors

Channel Four and Times Radio journalist Cathy Newman, who has worked extensively on stories about safeguarding and abuse, wrote on social media platform X: "I have been denied an interview with the new Archbishop so I won’t be able to put any of this to her publicly…but I have to say the reaction from abuse survivors has been one of dismay. 'A disastrous choice' is what one just texted me."

The Telegraph reported: "A victim of abuser John Smyth, an evangelical Christian whose abuse led to Justin Welby’s resignation, described the appointment as 'absolutely disastrous'.

The paper then quoted the survivor as saying: "Bishop Sarah has been complicit in multiple safeguarding failures in the Diocese of London. The Church of England needed someone from outside the safeguarding scandals that have brought the church to its knees. That is not Bishop Sarah. The CofE did not need more of the same. This appointment has succeeded in uniting the victim community: united in disbelief and dismay."

CEEC

A statement from the Church of England Evangelical Council about Mullally's appointment said: "The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) joins Anglicans across the world in praying for Bishop Sarah Mullally on the announcement that she is to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

"Bishop Sarah will take up her role as the next Archbishop of Canterbury at a difficult time for the Church of England, set against a backdrop of global conflict and instability.

"At home, the Church of England faces challenges because of declining attendance, financial pressures and their impact on sustaining parochial ministry. This is in the context of the significant divisions created by the Living in Love and Faith process. More broadly, across the Anglican Communion, in recent years there has been a significant loss of confidence in the role of the Archbishop and a cry for leadership consonant with our Anglican doctrinal heritage.

"These challenges exist within a wider context of political fragility—both in the UK and abroad—with contentious debates domestically, including the proposed assisted dying legislation, immigration, and ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East.

"We therefore pray that God will enable Bishop Sarah to hold to the apostolic faith and call the Church of England to recommit to the historic doctrines and formularies entrusted to it.

"We pray that this might be a moment where the current drift away from a biblical and Anglican understanding of marriage and sexual ethics is either halted or a way is found to secure biblical convictions in the Church of England for the future.

"Above all, our hope is that she will lead the Church of England in presenting the unchanging good news of the gospel afresh to our needy world. In 2 Timothy 1:14, Paul implores Timothy to ‘guard the good deposit’. We pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Bishop Sarah will be enabled to do the same," the CEEC statement concluded.

Mullally was previously a nurse. And from 1999 to 2004, she was Chief Nursing Officer for England and the National Health Service's director of patient experience for England; from 2015 to 2018, she served as Bishop of Crediton, prior to becoming Bishop of London.

'Experienced'

Writing on the website of the Religion Media Centre, experienced religious affairs commentator Tim Wyatt says: "In many ways, Sarah Mullally was by a distance the most senior and experienced bishop who was appointable to the role of Archbishop of Canterbury: the only more senior figure, Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, 67, is too close to the mandatory retirement age of 70 and ruled himself out by joining the appointment committee.

"And yet she was not seen as the frontrunner for the job. Partly this is because of her age — at 63 she will get only six years in the role when, typically, archbishops serve at least a decade.

"Sarah Mullally is widely seen as somewhat grey: a bland bureaucrat lacking in charisma or personality. She is not known as a partisan for any church faction and plays little role in the main theological debates.

"Her selection is possibly a sign the church hopes to turn the page on the damaging Welby era of safeguarding scandal through a de facto interim appointment.

"Perhaps the plan is to rebuild things under the steady hand of a practised administrator in Sarah Mullally for a few years, before handing on to someone better placed to grab the country’s attention as a spiritual leader and pastor."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "The Church of England is of profound importance to this country. Its churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the fabric of our communities.

"The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together."

Read more

• Sarah Mullally: 'Undertrained and inexperienced' - comment from distinguished theologian Gerald Bray
• Living in Love and Faith, safeguarding & complementarianism - comment from George Crowder
• Sarah Mullally: A calm voice & firm hand, but not an evangelical - comment from Rebecca Chapman
• Those who teach 'will be judged more strictly' - comment from Niv Lobo, Senior Associate Minister at Christ Church, Cambridge