• Mullally formerly held the top nursing role in the UK, which she left to pursue the ministry full time

• 'Women’s ordination,' 'same-sex blessings,' as well as future identity of Anglicanism among key concerns raised by parts of Anglican churches, particularly in the Global South

LONDON

Sarah Mullally’s confirmation last month as archbishop of Canterbury – the first woman to lead the Church of England since its establishment in 1534 – has reignited long-running disputes across the global Anglican Communion, with some critics warning the appointment could deepen existing theological and cultural divides.

In October 2025, the Church of England announced that Mullally, then the bishop of London, would succeed Justin Welby as archbishop of Canterbury.

Her appointment followed Welby’s resignation in November 2024 after criticism over his handling of information related to a prolific child abuser, with critics saying he failed to act decisively enough to prevent further abuse.

Mullally’s elevation to the church’s top role sparked debates over women’s ordination, blessings for same-sex couples and the future direction of Anglicanism, particularly among conservative provinces in the Global South.

Even so, Mullally, 63, was confirmed on Jan. 28 in a ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, becoming the 106th archbishop of Canterbury.

She became a Christian at age 16 and was ordained as a priest in 2001 while serving as the UK’s chief nursing officer, the government’s senior adviser on nursing matters. Three years later, she left the post to pursue ministry full time.

While the appointment marked a historic first for the Church of England, controversy surrounding the former nurse and married mother of two dates back several years.

Threats of a split in the church

The Church of England formally approved the consecration of women as bishops in July 2014, with the legislation taking effect later that year – marking a major shift in the church’s leadership structure.

Debates over gender and sexuality intensified when Mullally was appointed bishop of London in 2017, the first woman to hold the post.

When asked about her views on human sexuality around that time, she said: "It is a time for us to reflect on our tradition and scripture, and together say how we can offer a response that is about it being inclusive love."

She also served on the Bishops’ Reflection Group on Human Sexuality, established in 2016 to guide discussions on same-sex relationships within the church.

Just days after becoming the bishop of London – the third-ranking role within the Church of England behind the Archbishops of Canterbury and York – she weighed in on the ongoing debate about LGBT issues in the church. "Nobody is outside the love of God,” she said.

Meanwhile, Reverend William Taylor, a prominent figure within the conservative evangelical Anglican tradition, threatened to back a split in the church if Mullally did not "condemn homosexual relationships as sinful."

While the Church of England defines marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman, in 2023, it formally apologized for rejecting the LGBTQI community and began offering prayers for same-sex couples following civil marriages.

Her appointment as a woman to such a senior role also drew criticism from some traditionalists.

In a 2017 statement, the group Forward in Faith said it remained committed to maintaining as much unity as possible “while being realistic about its limits.”

Mullally acknowledged those concerns at the time.

“It is fair to say that there were, and still are, people there who cannot accept my ministry as a woman and a bishop,” she said in 2017. “Over the coming months, people will reflect on it, and, for me, it is about meet­ing with those people and reassur­ing them that, together, we can ensure that their ministry flourishes, and that we respect their position.”

She has also faced criticism from more liberal sectors of the church. In 2025, while serving as bishop of London, she opposed the Assisted Dying Bill, which sought to allow terminally ill adults, under strict safeguards, to receive legal assistance to end their lives.

Debates flare after elevation to archbishop

Long-standing disputes within the Anglican Communion intensified after the Church of England announced Mullally’s elevation to archbishop of Canterbury.

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) – a network of Anglican provinces including Rwanda, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria, Kenya, Myanmar, Brazil, Chile and Alexandria (Egypt) – expressed “sorrow” over the decision, saying it “abandons global Anglicans.”

In a statement signed by its chairman, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, the group said the archbishop of Canterbury could “no longer function as a credible leader of Anglicans, let alone a focus of unity.”

The statement cited “Sarah’s support for blessings of same-sex relationships” and her appointment as the first female archbishop, saying “the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy.”

Mbanda, who also serves as archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, separately criticized Mullally for “repeatedly promoting unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.”

Other conservative groups issued similar responses. The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa said it reacted “with deep sorrow and concern” to the appointment, according to Canada-based Broadview magazine.

However, the move was welcomed by some groups in the wider Christian world.

Women’s Ordination Worldwide, which aims to challenge discrimination against women in Catholicism and to support women to serve as priests, said the backlash showed “a dissident group is causing a stir in the global Anglican church by rejecting the ascent of Sarah Mullally.”

Anglicanism is one of the largest branches of Christianity, with around 110 million adherents worldwide.

While it began in England, the Global South has become the center of the tradition in the 21st century, with roughly 63 million members in Africa compared to about 24 million in Europe.

As that balance shifts, the archbishop of Canterbury’s historic role as a unifying figure is increasingly under strain, with the latest disputes reflecting deeper theological and cultural divides across the global communion.