The Anglican Church of Nigeria has broken relations with the Church in Wales following the election of an openly lesbian cleric as its archbishop. The Nigerian primate made the announcement during a gathering of church legal officers in Abuja.
The primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, told delegates at the opening of the 14th Church of Nigeria Conference of Chancellors, Registrars and Legal Officers that his province rejected the election of the Right Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales, Anglican Ink reported.
He said the decision by the Church in Wales was “an abomination” and a significant departure from biblical teaching.
Vann, 66, has served as bishop of Monmouth for five years. She was elected as the 15th archbishop of Wales after two days of deliberations by an electoral college of clergy and lay members at St. Pierre church near Chepstow.
Vann is the first woman and the first lesbian to hold the post. Her biography on the Church in Wales website says she lives with her civil partner, Wendy, and their two dogs.
Speaking in a keynote address titled “The Decade of the Reign of God: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects,” Ndukuba compared the development to the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson in the Episcopal Church in the United States, which had also led the Nigerian Church to sever its ties with that province.
Ndukuba said that just as the Church of Nigeria had acted then, it would now end all ties with the Church in Wales.
Vann has previously spoken about keeping her relationship secret for much of her ministry in England. She has been in a relationship with Wendy Diamond for over 30 years.
Same-sex civil partnerships and marriages have been legal in England and Wales since 2013, though the Church of England has continued to teach that marriage is between a man and a woman.
In 2021, the Church in Wales voted to allow blessings of same-sex unions.
The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland already permit same-sex marriage ceremonies.
The Rev. Charlie Baczyk-Bell, a gay priest, welcomed Vann’s election and described it as “very significant” for the denomination.
Ndukuba criticized the growing influence of revisionist teachings in parts of the Western Church. He said those advancing these positions had not stepped back from their agenda but had instead intensified it, and he rejected what they presented as wisdom and culture.
The Nigerian Church reaffirmed its support for Anglicans in Wales who adhere to its understanding of orthodoxy, stating that it would stand with them through platforms such as the Global Anglican Future Conference, known as GAFCON.
Ndukuba said the Church of Nigeria and GAFCON would support the faithful in Wales and prayed they would remain steadfast.
He also shared plans for the Church of Nigeria to expand its mission internationally. Registrations are underway in Germany, the Netherlands and Finland as part of what Ndukuba described as a return to Europe for mission work.
The primate noted that the Church of Nigeria had contributed $2.5 million to the GAFCON Endowment Fund and was working on a Nigerian GAFCON Endowment of $2.3 million to support Anglican work and mission. He said this showed the Church’s commitment to sustaining orthodox teaching globally.
On legal and governance matters, Ndukuba told church legal officers that they served as watchmen for the denomination, responsible for defending it against all forms of aggression. He urged them to listen to God and speak what they believed to be His truth, and to support constitutional review within the denomination as well as the creation of a new Nigerian Constitution.
The conference, held at St. Matthias House in Abuja under the theme “Called as a Watchman” from Ezekiel 33:7, gathers legal professionals from across the Church of Nigeria.
