Church of Nigeria Cuts Ties with Church in Wales Over Lesbian Archbishop’s Appointment

On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) announced it has severed all ties with the Church in Wales following the appointment of Bishop Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the 15th Archbishop of Wales on July 7, 2025. The decision, declared by Primate Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba during the opening session of the 14th Conference of Chancellors, Registrars, and Legal Officers in Abuja, themed “Called as a Watchman,” labeled the appointment “an abomination” and a deviation from biblical truth. Ndukuba compared it to the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson in the Episcopal Church (USA), which prompted a similar break in ties. He criticized the “revisionist teachings” of Western churches, vowing support for orthodox Anglicans in Wales through the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

Ndukuba revealed the Church of Nigeria’s $2.5 million contribution to the GAFCON Endowment Fund and plans for a $2.3 million local GAFCON Endowment to bolster orthodox Anglican missions, alongside expanding missionary work in Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland. He urged the Church’s legal officers to defend doctrinal integrity, support internal reforms, and advocate for a new Nigerian constitution. The conference, attended by 150 legal minds, aimed to strengthen governance and justice within the Church. X posts from @AnglicanNigeria and @Vanguardngrnews on August 5, 2025, highlighted mixed reactions, with some praising the Church’s stance on biblical principles and others, like @Naija_Activist, decrying it as divisive amid Nigeria’s socioeconomic challenges.