Nigeria’s Anglican slams Church of Wales over election of gay archbishop
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has strongly condemned the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as the new Archbishop of Wales, calling it a further indication of the Church in Wales’s departure from foundational Christian teachings and a betrayal of Anglican orthodoxy.
Vann, who was elected on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, becomes the 15th Archbishop of Wales after receiving a two-thirds majority vote at a meeting of the Church’s Electoral College held at St Pierre Church and Hotel in Chepstow. She succeeds Bishop Andrew John, who retired earlier this year.
Her appointment has drawn sharp criticism from the Church of Nigeria, primarily due to her openly gay lifestyle and civil partnership with Wendy Diamond, a stance the Nigerian Church says contradicts biblical ethics and undermines the authority of Scripture.
In a statement signed by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, the church declared it would not recognise Vann’s election, describing her leadership as a continuation of a troubling pattern in parts of the global Anglican community.
“We recall with sadness her passive and complicit role in the same-sex crisis that tore the Anglican Communion apart. The story of Rt. Rev. Vann reminds us of the sad tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, under whose leadership faithful Anglicans in the United States suffered persecution,” the statement read.
Ndukuba lamented that Vann’s election reflects a broader rejection of sound doctrine among some Anglican provinces, accusing them of sacrificing Scripture for “a postmodern agenda that has no divine backing.”
He warned that such developments imperil not only the salvation of souls but also the global credibility and spiritual authority of the Anglican Church in missions and evangelism.
“With the election of Bishop Vann, biblical ethics and the identity of Anglicans globally are at stake,” he said.
The Nigerian Primate called on faithful Anglicans to reject what he termed theological rebellion and instead realign with biblically faithful Anglican groups such as GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference). He urged unity among believers committed to “sound doctrine and godliness.”
“As a matter of urgency, the Church of Nigeria believes that this moment calls for prayer for the Church of Wales, hoping that the Church of England will not follow in her steps,” Ndukuba added.
“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 time of judgment,” he concluded.
