The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) said it is praying for Bishop Sarah Mullally as she prepares to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, while also urging her to hold firmly to biblical teaching and address deep divisions within the Church and the wider Anglican Communion.
Mullally, currently Bishop of London, was appointed Friday as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to hold the post and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion of 85 million people in 165 countries. She will formally take office in early 2026.
In a statement, the CEEC noted that Mullally will assume leadership “at a difficult time” for the Church of England, citing declining attendance, financial pressures, and divisions stemming from the Living in Love and Faith process on sexuality. It also referenced growing discontent in the Anglican Communion, saying there had been “a significant loss of confidence in the role of the Archbishop and a cry for leadership consonant with our Anglican doctrinal heritage.”
The CEEC linked these ecclesial challenges to wider instability, including contentious debates in the United Kingdom over assisted dying legislation and immigration, alongside ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East.
The council said it hoped Mullally would “hold to the apostolic faith and call the Church of England to recommit to the historic doctrines and formularies entrusted to it.” It expressed particular concern over marriage and sexual ethics, calling this moment an opportunity either to halt what it described as a drift away from biblical teaching or to find a way to secure “biblical convictions” for the future.
“Above all, our hope is that she will lead the Church of England in presenting the unchanging good news of the gospel afresh to our needy world,” the statement read. Quoting 2 Timothy 1:14, it concluded with a prayer that Mullally would “guard the good deposit” with the help of the Holy Spirit.
