Archbishop of Canterbury choice sparks Church of England row as conservative group Gafcon reject first woman

Her position as the most senior clerical role has been rejected by Gafcon, saying she has "repeatedly promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality".

In a statement, the Most Rev Dr Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and Chairman of the Gafcon Primates' Council, explained that in 2008, Gafcon first gathered to "respond to the abandonment of the scriptures by some of the most senior leaders of the Anglican Communion, and to seek their repentance".

He said that Gafcon is now "leading the Global Anglican Communion" and "in the absence of such repentance", Gafcon primates have now taken steps to "reform the Anglican Communion".

Rev Mbanada continued: "As has been the case from the very beginning, we have not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion."

Gafcon represents around 85 per cent of the world's 85 million Anglicans, with it rejecting the authority of the new Archbishop.

In its statement, Gafcon rejected "the so-called Instruments of Communion, namely the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and the Primates Meeting, which have failed to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Communion".

It continued: "Provinces of the Global Anglican Communion shall not participate in meetings called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, including the ACC, and shall not make any monetary contribution to the ACC, nor receive any monetary contribution from the ACC or its networks."

It called on the ACC "to remove any reference to being in communion with the See of Canterbury and the Church of England".

The Gafcon statement added: "We cannot continue to have communion with those who advocate the revisionist agenda, which has abandoned the inerrant word of God as the final authority."

Faithful Anglicans have been encouraged by Gafcon to join them in rejecting the decision from the Church of England.

Gafcon said: "To be a member of the Global Anglican Communion, a province or a diocese must assent to the Jerusalem Declaration of 2008, the contemporary standard for Anglican identity."

The Church of England has been without an Archbishop of Canterbury for nearly a year, following Justin Welby's resignation in November 2024.

He resigned after failing to report prolific child abuser John Smyth.

A date for Dame Sarah's enrolment is yet to be announced, as she fended off both men and women for the role.

In a statement following confirmation of her appointment, she said: "As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager.

"At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply, to people and to God's gentle prompting, to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.

"I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions. And I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion.

"I know this is a huge responsibility, but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as he always has."