Abuja, Nigeria – August 4, 2025 — The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has officially rejected the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales, calling the decision a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a threat to the unity of the global Anglican Communion.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday, August 3, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, expressed deep concern over the appointment, describing it as a sign of “spiritual decay” and “outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
“The recent election of Bishop Vann is a clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ can no longer endure sound doctrine,” Ndukuba said, referencing 2 Timothy 4:3–4.
The Nigerian Anglican leader warned that Vann’s elevation to the highest ecclesiastical office in the Church in Wales could erode the Church’s mission credibility and weaken evangelism efforts globally. He called on the Church in Wales to “repent and return to biblical teachings,” warning that spiritual compromise could render it irrelevant.
The Church of Nigeria further urged members of the global Anglican community to align with conservative Anglican bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which uphold traditional scriptural principles and reject what it terms “doctrinal rebellion.”
“Unless there is a clear repentance and return to biblical truth, the Church in Wales risks becoming spiritually irrelevant,” the statement read.
The election of Bishop Vann was announced on the official Anglican Communion X handle (@AnglicanWorld). Vann, originally from Leicestershire, was consecrated as the Bishop of Monmouth in 2020. She was among the first women ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994 and previously served as Archdeacon of Rochdale in the Diocese of Manchester.
This latest reaction is consistent with the Church of Nigeria’s conservative theological stance. In recent years, the Church has:
Barred politicians from speaking at its pulpits to preserve its spiritual sanctity. This decision followed backlash after Minister Nyesom Wike made politically charged remarks during a church thanksgiving service in Abuja.
Condemned the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 general election. Bishop Duke Akamisoko of the Kubwa Diocese described the party’s decision as “insensitive” to Nigeria’s religious diversity and “an insult” to northern Christians.
As the global Anglican Communion continues to grapple with internal divisions over doctrinal and cultural issues, the Church of Nigeria has positioned itself as a leading voice for theological orthodoxy and scriptural fidelity.
