The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has faulted the election of Bishop Cherry Vann as the new Archbishop of Wales. The church’s primate, most rev’d henry ndukuba, issued a statement on sunday, august 3, citing bishop vann’s openly lesbian lifestyle as a departure from biblical teachings. bishop vann was elected to the position on wednesday, july 30, becoming the first openly gay person to hold the title in the united kingdom.
In his statement, ndukuba described the election as a “further abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints,” expressing concerns about the church of wales’ trajectory. the church in wales, which has previously authorized blessings for same-sex civil partnerships, has not issued an official response to the criticism. bishop vann herself has said that while she honors differing theological views, she aims to bring healing and reconciliation to the church she now leads.
The election has once again highlighted the deep divisions within the global anglican communion regarding issues of human sexuality. while some provinces, particularly in africa, maintain a conservative stance, churches in other regions, including wales, have moved toward more inclusive policies, a divergence that has long created tension within the worldwide body.
The Church of Nigeria emphasised the importance of upholding the authority of Scripture, historic creeds, and Anglican orthodoxy.
The Archbishop called upon faithful Christians to reject and condemn those who would compromise biblical teachings, advocating for a realignment with faithful Anglican bodies like GAFCON.
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects and will not recognise the election of Vann as Archbishop of Wales.
“We will strive to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism and holy Christian living.
“We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will build His Church and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16 :18).
“We call upon faithful Christians of the Anglican fold to denounce, reject, condemn and expel the rebels in our midst, while we realign ourselves with Anglican remnants scattered in troubled dioceses all over the world,
The Church of Nigeria also called for prayer for the Church of Wales, hoping that the Church of England will not follow in her steps.
“We should hold them in our prayers with a clear message that hope lies only in true repentance and godliness.
“Otherwise, the church will lose complete relevance in the divine scheme for the people of Wales, and the leaders in compromise shall not be spared in time of judgment.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the reorientation that the recent election of The Bishop Vann as Archbishop of Wales July 3 was trailed by controversies.
