Conservative Anglicans pull back from electing rival to Archbishop of Canterbury

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete March 5, 2026 at 06:58 PM

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Conservative Anglicans, known as Gafcon, met in Abuja, Nigeria, and decided against electing a rival "primus inter pares" to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. This decision comes shortly before Mullally's formal installation, which has sparked division due to her support for same-sex unions and differing views on female leadership. Instead of electing a rival, Gafcon unveiled a new leadership council headed by Rwanda's Archbishop Laurent Mbanda. Gafcon maintains that their differences with the Church of England stem from doctrinal disagreements, specifically regarding the authority of scripture versus contemporary culture on issues like marriage and sexuality. While Gafcon denies gender is the primary issue, they assert that Mullally promotes "unbiblical" teachings, and many Anglicans believe only men should be bishops.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Global Anglican Council 40% Rwanda 50% Abuja ×260% Venerable Canon Justin Murff ×260% Church of England 60% Nigeria ×270% Laurent Mbanda ×380% Sarah Mullally ×590% Archbishop of Canterbury ×690% Gafcon (Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans) ×690%

Keywords

archbishop of canterbury 100% gafcon 90% anglican communion 90% conservative anglicans 80% sarah mullally 70% same-sex marriage 60% laurent mbanda 60% female leadership 50% doctrine 50% sexual morality 50%

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Neutral

Score: -0.10

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BBC News - World

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Center (0.00)

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90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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archbishop of canterbury gafcon anglican communion conservative anglicans sarah mullally same-sex marriage laurent mbanda female leadership doctrine sexual morality

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