The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a strong condemnation of the recent appointment of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the new Archbishop of Wales, calling it a dangerous deviation from Christian doctrine and a threat to the global unity of the Anglican Church.
In a statement signed by its Primate, The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the Nigerian Anglican leadership described the development as “a serious departure from biblical teaching” and a troubling sign of “spiritual decadence” within parts of the global communion.
“The recent election of Bishop Vann is a clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine,” Archbishop Ndukuba stated, citing *2 Timothy 4:3–4.
The Church of Nigeria warned that the elevation of Bishop Vann signaled “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints,” and risked eroding the Church’s credibility and evangelistic mission, particularly in regions where Anglicanism is still grounded in traditional scriptural values.
Drawing historical parallels, Archbishop Ndukuba compared the development to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, the former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States from 2006 to 2015, who was also criticized by conservative Anglicans for progressive positions on sexuality and church leadership.
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The statement further asserted that the Church in Wales now stood at a crossroads, warning that continued endorsement of liberal theology could render it “spiritually irrelevant.”
“We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will build His Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” Ndukuba affirmed. “We should hold them in our prayers with a clear message that hope lies only in true repentance and godliness. Otherwise, this Church will lose complete relevance in the divine scheme for the people of Wales, and the leaders in compromise shall not be spared in the time of judgment.”
The Church of Nigeria reiterated its alignment with the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a global fellowship of conservative Anglican churches that uphold traditional interpretations of scripture, particularly on matters of sexuality, marriage, and leadership.
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” the statement declared.
As tensions over doctrine and identity continue to widen within the Anglican Communion, the Nigerian Church’s response underscores the growing rift between conservative Anglican provinces and their more liberal counterparts in the West.
