Today’s announcement that the Church of England has appointed Dame Sarah Mullally as its first female Archbishop of Canterbury marks not merely a new historical first, but yet further evidence that the institution — I can’t bring myself to call it a church — departed from the faith decades ago.
Her appointment exhibits a denial of what scripture plainly teaches about male leadership in church office. Yet we must also recognise that the decay began long ago, when church structures permitted — in fact, they encouraged — the appointment of men who lacked serious conviction in God, scripture, or gospel truth. This revolution did not begin yesterday; today is simply another milestone on a sad path.
The rot began long ago
To understand how we arrived here, we must face reality: over many decades, the Church of England has steadily diluted its commitment to biblical orthodoxy, compromised under pressure from cultural shifts, and rewarded liberal assent more than gospel faithfulness. The abandonment of robust biblical expository preaching, the elevation of charismatic personality over theological depth, and the creeping accommodation to social trends weakened the church from within.
