The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has officially severed all ties with the Church in Wales following the elevation of Bishop Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the 15th Archbishop of Wales.
The announcement was made by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, during the opening ceremony of the 14th Church of Nigeria Conference of Chancellors, Registrars, and Legal Officers held Tuesday at the Church’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Describing the development as “an abomination” and a “serious departure from biblical truth,” Primate Ndukuba declared: “We reject the election of the Right Reverend Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales.”
The theme of the legal conference, “Called as a Watchman,” gathered legal professionals across the Church to deliberate on issues of doctrine, justice, and institutional integrity. In his keynote address titled “The Decade of the Reign of God: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects,” the Primate reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to biblical orthodoxy.
Drawing parallels to past events, Ndukuba referenced the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson, an openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church (USA), which had similarly prompted the Church of Nigeria to cut ties with that province.
“Just as the Church of Nigeria took steps after the election of Gene Robinson in the United States, we are severing every tie and relationship with the Church of Wales,” he stated.
The Primate also expressed deep concern over what he called the increasing dominance of revisionist theology in parts of the Western Church. “These individuals have not relented from their evil agenda; rather, they have intensified it. What they call their wisdom and culture is an abomination to God,” he said.
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While distancing itself from the Church in Wales, the Church of Nigeria reiterated its solidarity with conservative Anglicans in the region through the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). “We pray that the Church of God in Wales will rise up, and that the faithful among them will stand strong. We, the Church of Nigeria, alongside GAFCON, will stand with them,” Ndukuba assured.
Looking to the future, the Primate announced plans to extend the Church of Nigeria’s global mission with new official registrations in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland. “We feel that the Lord is calling us back to Europe for mission,” he said.
He also shared that the Church had recently donated $2.5 million to the GAFCON Endowment Fund and is in the process of establishing a Nigerian GAFCON Endowment worth $2.3 million to support conservative Anglican missions.
In his closing remarks, Primate Ndukuba challenged legal officers to be vigilant in defending the Church’s core values and constitutional integrity.
“You are to understand yourselves to be watchmen for the Church. You defend the Church against all forms of aggression. As modern-day watchmen, we must first listen to God, then speak His truth in love, knowing our duty lies in obedience,” he said, urging the legal community to support both internal reforms and advocacy for a new national constitution in Nigeria.
