A disappointing decision: The Australian Church Record on Canterbury’s new Archbishop

From The Australian Church Record:

“The ACR regrets this appointment and laments the way it will likely accelerate the weakening of the Church of England and the bonds which hold together the Anglican Communion.”

“The Australian Church Record (ACR) notes the announcement that Dame Sarah Mullally has been appointed to the office of Archbishop of Canterbury, and as such, the Primate of All England and metropolitan bishop of the Province of Canterbury. The ACR regrets this appointment and laments the way it will likely accelerate the weakening of the Church of England and the bonds which hold together the Anglican Communion.

At the heart of the English Reformation in the sixteenth-century was the gospel of Jesus Christ. The supreme authority of the Holy Scriptures declared that the great problem of the sinfulness of mankind could only find its remedy in the once for all sacrifice of Christ on the cross. By faith, and faith in Christ alone, could anyone stand before almighty God, and that gift of faith was precisely that which the world needed. At the cost of his life, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer stood for these truths and bequeathed a noble theological heritage to the Church of England in the Book of Common Prayer, the 39 Articles of Religion, and the Ordinal.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is not merely a symbolic primate; historically, he is called to safeguard doctrine, discipline, and unity under the lordship of Christ. From Augustine of Canterbury to Thomas Cranmer to the modern incumbents, that office has borne the responsibility of upholding the priority of the gospel throughout the English church. As a global Anglican communion came into being the office took on a moral responsibility to keep calling churches back to the teaching of the Scriptures and the centrality of the crucified and risen Saviour. Yet in our day …”

– Read the full statement here.

Appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury — Response from Sydney

Appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury

We acknowledge the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury with a spirit of prayerful reflection and gospel-centred concern.

We commend Dame Sarah’s distinguished record of public service in healthcare and recognise her achievements in administrative leadership.

However, we also recognise that this appointment comes at a time of profound theological tension within the Anglican Communion. The recent trajectory of the English Church–particularly regarding issues of human sexuality, biblical authority, and unity–has caused deep concern among those who hold to the historic and reformed teachings of Scripture.

Her public comments show she has strayed from the clear teaching of scripture and promoted serious error that will neither advance unity nor the mission of the church.

The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury once held a symbolic leadership role in the global Anglican Communion. However, due to a tragic failure to uphold biblical teaching, successive Archbishops have forfeited the trust of orthodox Anglicans, who now look to other leaders.

The Church of England and its new leadership must urgently return to the message of faith, hope, and love entrusted to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bishop Peter Hayward
Commissary for the Archbishop of Sydney (on leave) 4 October 2025

– Public Statement from The Diocese of Sydney.

Other responses to the appointment of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury

From Church Society:

We note the election of Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. 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.

From The Church of England Evangelical Council:

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.

From Anglican Futures:

The wrong Archbishop for this cultural moment? – Their conclusion:

The crowning achievement for most Archbishops of Canterbury is the highlight of hosting a “Lambeth Conference” of all the Communion’s bishops. One is due in 2032, the year before the archbishop is due to retire – but whether there will be a Communion to gather is doubtful.

Bishop Mullally may, as many say, be “really kind”. She may, as she says, “…intend to be a shepherd who enables everyone’s ministry and vocation to flourish, whatever our tradition…”, but the thing about shepherds is they have to know both where the good pasture is and where the wolves are.

Given that in less than two hours today Bishop Mullally repeated her failings at home and further alienated the Communion abroad, it is hard to imagine a worse start for the new incumbent of the chair of St Augustine, or a worse morning for the Church of England. There might be “Nothing like a Dame”, but she has just over six years from January to put things right.

– Do read the whole article.

And at The Critic:

The lanyard class Archbishop – by George Owers, writing about the “quiet revival” happening in many places –

“If I were to try to imagine a candidate for the new Archbishop of Canterbury who is the furthest away from this, the worst and least suitable replacement for Welby possible, I would probably pick someone along the following lines. They’d be a former state bureaucrat who made an entire career out of the sort of bland HR department-inspired managerialism that is destroying the church, probably a senior civil servant in (say) the NHS. They’d be on record as having every tick-box lazy progressive political and theological opinion imaginable. They would, of course, have lived and worked in London for most of their life and be a thoroughgoing metropolitan. …”

Photo via The Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.

GSFA Statement on the Appointment of the Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally as the Archbishop of Canterbury

From the Global Fellowship of Anglican Churches –

“While we shall of course pray for Bishop Mullally as she assumes this historic position, we feel compelled to say that we feel this appointment is a missed opportunity to reunite and reform the Anglican Communion.

In June, we issued an open letter to the Crown Nominations Commission urging that ‘the next Archbishop of Canterbury should be someone who will uphold the orthodox faith shared by the great majority of global Anglicans’. So we are deeply saddened that the person still perceived by many to be the spiritual leader of now some 100 million Anglicans worldwide has played a leading role in the Church of England’s departure from Anglican tradition and the clear teaching of Scripture in matters of marriage and sexuality.

When the Church of England’s General Synod opened the door to the blessing of same sex relationships at its February 2023 General Synod she described this as ‘A moment of hope’. For us, it was a moment of lament because we believe that the teaching of Jesus and the whole of Scripture is fundamental to human flourishing, both now and for eternity, and should not be compromised by the pressures of a particular culture.

Sadly therefore, our position must remain as it was in our Ash Wednesday statement of February 2023 when we stated that we were no longer able to recognise the then Archbishop of Canterbury as the ‘first amongst equals’ leader of the global Communion.

Grievous though this turn of events is, it is not unexpected and is one further symptom of the crisis of faith and authority that has afflicted the Anglican Communion for the past quarter of a century. To remedy this, the GSFA offers to all orthodox Provinces a framework of covenanted relationships, rooted in an explicit commitment to orthodox Anglican doctrine and mutual accountability which we commend to the whole Communion as a matter of urgency. Only in this way, we believe, will it be possible to  restore confidence, clarity and unity as we continue to obey our Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.

The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and
Chairman of GSFA”

– Source.

Canterbury Appointment Abandons Anglicans — Gafcon responds to the appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury

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.

via e-mail.

NSW Presbyterians and the Conversion Practices Ban Act

“The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of NSW has adopted a response to the state’s conversion practices legislation, affirming that biblical Christian ministry is ‘neither harmful nor coercive’, and committing to continue teaching the biblical views on sexuality and gender.

Meeting on Friday, September 26, the Assembly passed guidance to church sessions for navigating the legislation while maintaining confidence in proclaiming biblical teachings on marriage, sexuality and identity. …”

– At AP, the Australian Presbyterian online journal, John McClean, Convenor of the PCNSW Gospel, Society and Culture Committee, shares the NSW Presbyterian Church’s response.

Wales: Discerning the Times

“As this blog reported at the time the appointment of the Rt Revd Cherry Vann as the new Archbishop of Wales has proved very divisive.

Within days, church leaders from across the Anglican Communion made statements decrying the decision, saying the Church in Wales was ‘walking away from the truth’, contradicting ‘the consistent witness of Scripture on sexual ethics and leadership qualifications’, and placing ‘another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy.’

Now a synod has formally joined those voices. …”

– Anglican Futures reports in more responses to the election of Cherry Vann, including that of Sydney.

Lawyers Task Force Leader Honoured

From Gafcon:

“We give thanks to God for the ministry of Dr Robert Tong AM, who continues to serve as the Leader of our Gafcon Lawyers Task Force.

Dr Tong was honoured this week at the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia, as he retires from his formal ministry in their Synod after 55 years of service.

Join us in thanking God for his strategic mind, theological wisdom, extensive knowledge of church law, and the personal example of faith and integrity he has provided throughout his years of service.

We continue to pray for the important ministry of The Gafcon Lawyers Network, as they provide legal and canonical counsel and resources to the Primates, bishops, clergy and other leaders of Gafcon as we seek to live out the Jerusalem Declaration and its implications for our life and ministry together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the supremacy of the Holy Scriptures.”

– From Gafcon.

ACL members continue to be thankful for Robert’s long term commitment to advancing the reformed and evangelical character of the Anglican Church of Australia, particularly in the Diocese of Sydney, through Anglican Church League, including his continued service as Chairman.

Gafcon thanksgiving point: Charlie Kirk Memorial Service

The latest Prayer update from Gafcon:

“We give thanks to God for the clear proclamation of salvation and forgiveness in Jesus Christ at the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service held this week in Arizona, USA and broadcast globally. The gospel was preached with boldness, and many were stirred to think deeply, ask questions, and respond to the good news. …”

– Gafcon website.

Related:

The Two Narratives at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service – Murray Campbell, via The Gospel Coalition Australia.

“Two narratives were present in the memorial service, and it is the second one that I hope shines the brightest and the longest. Charlie Kirk’s pastor Rob McCoy gave a clear presentation of the good news of Jesus …

Erika Kirk then addressed the crowds and uttered the impossible word …”

Vance’s eulogy to Kirk: Better to die young than to sell your soul – Kathy Gyngell at The Conservative Woman.

“What touched me most about the memorial to Charlie Kirk held in Arizona on Sunday – understood to be largest in known history – was the way speakers spoke so openly, eloquently and unaffectedly about their deep Christian faith.

This is something British people of faith find difficult, preferring to keep their faith, and maybe their doubt, private. Or perhaps they are simply not sufficiently versed in it. …”

Trusting God when everything is awful

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“How do you understand God’s sovereignty when your dad is murdered, your family is in poverty, you are living in the most awful slum and your extended family won’t help.

Richmond Wandera’s father was murdered when he was just eight years old, leaving his family destitute in Uganda’s Naguru slum. Initially he wanted revenge. But then he came to know Jesus Christ.

We talk theological reflections on suffering, as well as a challenge for Western comfort-seeking Christianity, and a clear critique of the Prosperity Gospel.

Richmond Wandera leads the Pastors Discipleship Network across East Africa, as well as pastoring at the church where he came to Christ and partnering with Compassion in Uganda.”

– Watch or listen.

What Sydney means to us – and what we mean to Sydney

“The relationship between Uganda and the Sydney Diocese goes back to 1959, and the first visit by Bishop Festo Kivengere.

The strong bonds established then continue to this day. Bishop Alfred Olwa of Lango Diocese, who is also chairman of Uganda Christian University, spoke at Synod to the Rev Dr Simon Gillham. …”

– Encouragement from SydneyAnglicans.net.

“We will obey God”

From SydneyAnglicans.net –

“The Act purports to give churches, schools and parents permission to teach about sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual activity and religion. But, respectfully, we do not need the permission of the government to teach about such things,” said Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, drawing a line in the sand in his opening address to the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney.

“I want to state clearly and publicly to you all – that ‘I will stand by any clergyperson or church worker who finds themselves brought before a tribunal or court because of this poorly conceived law. We must not be silenced or intimidated from teaching God’s good plan for human sexuality and relationships. We will insist on the freedom to do so, respectfully but without fear.’ We will obey God”

The act being referred to was the NSW Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 which Premier Chris Minns promised would not restrict churches in prayer or preaching. That pledge has now been undercut by Anti-Discrimination New South Wales (ADNSW). …

– Russell Powell reports.

Kanishka Raffel and the Sydney Anglican Synod promise to stand with Christians over conversion practices laws

John Sandeman reports on Monday night’s gathering of the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney –

“Clergy, church workers, and any Christian taken before a tribunal when accused of breaching the Conversion Practices Ban Act in NSW have been assured by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel and the Sydney Anglican Synod that they will be supported. ‘I concluded by saying, and I want to say this clearly and publicly to you all, that I will stand by any clergy person or church worker who finds themselves brought before a tribunal or court because of this poorly conceived law,’ the Archbishop declared in his presidential address to the Synod, repeating an assurance he had sent to his clergy as the new law began to operate.

‘We must not be silenced’, he added. ‘We must not be silenced or intimidated from teaching God’s good plan for human sexuality and relationships. We will insist on the freedom to do so respectfully, but without fear, we will obey God. We can do nothing less.’ During the debate, Raffel made it clear his support extended to lay people caught up in tribunal hearings as well. …”

– Do read it all on this important issue.

Related:

Living Faith website.
“Living Faith is a Sydney Anglican ministry to Christian persons who experience attraction to the same sex and/or gender incongruence.”

Image: Archbishop Raffel during his Presidential Address.

Gafcon Solemn Summons to Global Bishops

“Dear Brothers and Sisters of Gafcon,

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus, our rock and our redeemer!

The next six months are crucial for our global Anglican church.

This is why the Gafcon Primates have summoned the world’s orthodox Anglican bishops to gather in Abuja, Nigeria, from 3 to 6 March, 2026.

This may be the most important assembly of authentic Anglicans since Gafcon reset the Communion at Jerusalem in 2008. …”

– Read the full message from Archbishop Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the  Gafcon Primates Council.

Do Christians have freedom to pray?

“Before the last election, Christians and other people of faith were assured  that ‘an individual of their own consent seeking guidance through prayer will not be banned’.

Now, this promise in relation to the Conversion Practices Ban Act, appears to have been breached by guidelines surrounding the act from Anti Discrimination NSW (ADNSW). …”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net has this important update.

Do watch the embedded video.

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