Nigeria's Anglican Condemns Election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales

Naija Blog — The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a strong condemnation of the recent election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as the 15th Archbishop of Wales, labeling the move as a “tragic departure from biblical Christianity” and “a betrayal of Anglican orthodoxy.”

Vann, who was elected on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, secured the position after receiving a two-thirds majority vote during the Church in Wales Electoral College meeting at St. Pierre Church and Hotel in Chepstow. She takes over from Bishop Andrew John, who retired earlier this year.

However, Vann's openly gay lifestyle and civil partnership with Wendy Diamond have drawn sharp criticism from conservative Anglican leaders globally—most vocally from the Church of Nigeria.

In a strongly worded statement signed by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, the Nigerian Anglican leadership made it clear that it will not recognize Vann’s election. The statement declared her appointment as yet another indication of the Church in Wales “choosing culture over Christ.”

“We recall with sadness her passive and complicit role in the same-sex crisis that tore the Anglican Communion apart,” the statement read.
“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.”

A Call to Return to Biblical Foundations

Archbishop Ndukuba decried what he described as a growing trend of “postmodern theological rebellion” among some Anglican provinces, stating that they are abandoning the authority of Scripture in pursuit of ideologies that lack divine foundation.

“With the election of Bishop Vann, biblical ethics and the identity of Anglicans globally are at stake,” he said.
“Such actions imperil not only the salvation of souls but also erode the global credibility and spiritual authority of the Anglican Church in missions and evangelism.”

The Primate called on faithful Anglican churches and clergy across the Communion to unite under biblically faithful movements like GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) and reject what he described as “compromise disguised as inclusion.”

Warning to the Church of England

In a cautionary note, the Nigerian Church urged the Church of England not to follow the same path as the Church in Wales, warning that continued theological drift will lead to spiritual irrelevance.

“Hope lies only in true repentance and godliness; otherwise, this Church will lose complete relevance in the divine scheme for the people of Wales,” Ndukuba concluded.
“The leaders in compromise shall not be spared in the time of judgment.”

As tensions over human sexuality and church doctrine continue to divide the global Anglican Communion, the Church of Nigeria’s response underscores a deepening rift that may shape the future of Anglicanism for decades to come.