The Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) today publicly expressed dismay over the Church of England’s appointment of the Rt Rev’d Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, citing her position on same-sex marriage.
The appointment is historic, as Mullally is the first woman to hold the Anglican Church’s most senior position.
The reaction came in a letter dated October 4, 2025, addressed to all ECSS clergy and the faithful, from the Most Rev’d Dr. Justin Badi Arama, Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Metropolitan Bishop.
The Primate stated that it is “sad that this newly appointed Archbishop is a supporter of same sex marriage.”He specifically referenced Mullally’s remarks following the Church of England’s Synod in February 2023, where she described the decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples as a “moment of hope for the Church.”
In response to the appointment, Archbishop Badi reaffirmed the ECSS’s theological stance. “Our position as the Episcopal Church of South Sudan is to uphold the traditional Christian teaching on marriage and to proclaim the biblical Anglican faith,” the letter stated.
Archbishop Badi also reiterated his position as Chair of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA), noting that the GSFA has issued a letter “reaffirming our position of not recognizing unbiblical and un-orthodox leadership.”
This move signals a continuation of the theological schism within the global Anglican Communion, primarily between Western provinces and conservative provinces in the Global South.
The letter concluded by clarifying that the ECSS’s ongoing communion and fellowship would be channeled through the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches and the Gafcon renewal movement, rather than through the leadership structure headed by Canterbury.
Despite the division, the ECSS affirmed, “We continue to uphold the Church of England in prayers as we also pray for ourselves.”
