The wrong Archbishop for this cultural moment?
- Anglican Futures
- 8 hours ago
- 8 min read
“This cultural moment is a challenge to us as leaders and communities. If the world is craving 'full-fat faith', then it’s time we served it up—unapologetically and unashamed. That means strong preaching, clear gospel invitations, and discipleship that asks something of us. It means offering the Bible, communion, and confession, not as hidden extras, but as central practices of life with Christ. This generation isn’t running from responsibility; they’re running toward it. The question is, will we meet them with the real thing?
“Wisdom to Digest: What Gen Z is asking for isn’t new. It’s the faith we’ve carried for generations. Unfiltered, undiluted, and still powerful today.”
So wrote Hereford-based pastor and church-planter Luke Hancorn. He was responding to a The Times piece by James Marriott, “Full-fat faith: the young Christian converts filling our churches.”
Hancorn is not an Anglican but what he describes is what the XXIX Articles describes - part of Article 19 speaks of “The visible Church of Christ” as, “a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance…”. That is a faith where the Word preached and practiced is neither polluted nor diluted.
Many others have commented in similar vein about the spiritual cravings of the modern Western world -
The Hancorn and Marriott pieces were written in August before millions across the world saw some of clearest examples of what they were talking about during the very Gen Z memorial service for murdered apologist Charlie Kirk. It is not necessary to agree with the politics of all the speakers to recognise the power and profundity of their messages:
Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said,
"Sin entered the world and separated us from our Creator," ... "And so God took on the form of a man and came down and lived among us, and He suffered like men, and He died like a man, but on the third day, He rose unlike any mortal man. And to prove any doubters wrong, He ate with his disciples so they could see—and they touched His wounds. He didn't rise as a ghost or as a spirit, but as flesh. And then He rose to the heavens, but He promised He would return, and He will. And when He returns, because He took on that death, because He carried that cross, we were freed from the sin that separated us from Him. And when He returns, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we will all be together, and we are going to have a great reunion there again, with Charlie and all the people we love."
Frank Turek, a mentor of Charlie Kirk and who witnessed the shooting, preached the grace found in the gospel, “I want you to know that Charlie right now is in Heaven,” he said, “Not because he was a great husband and father; not because he saved millions of kids out of darkness on college campuses; not because he changed minds and chased votes to save the country; not because he sacrificed himself for his Savior. Charlie Kirk is in Heaven because his Savior sacrificed Himself for Charlie Kirk.”
Kirk’s pastor Rob McCoy gave a clear, simple but doctrinal explanation of the gospel.
“Charlie knew … at an early age … he entrusted his life to the Saviour of the World. Jesus came to this earth, was tempted in all ways, yet was without sin, was crucified upon the cross … His blood was poured out because blood must be shed for the remission of sins … And his death upon that cross was sufficient for all the world’s sins, but only efficient for those who, like Charlie, would receive him as their Saviour.”
The widow, Erika Kirk’s whole speech could scarcely have been more 'full fat' faith across a whole range of issues and needs. Of her husband she said,
“One moment, Charlie was doing what he loved, arguing and debating on campus, fighting for the gospel, the truth in front of a big crowd, and then he blinked. He blinked and saw his Savior in paradise, and all the heavenly mysteries were revealed to him.”
Her peroration was,
“Choose prayer, choose courage, choose beauty, choose adventure, choose family, choose a life of faith,” she told the audience. “And most importantly, choose Christ.”
What was said about Christianity was uncompromising - just what the age group with which Kirk worked are looking for.
This all stands in contrast to the faith as presented and represented by the Bishop of London, and now Archbishop of Canterbury designate, Right Revd and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, not least on the day of her nomination.
Despite many advantages of demography, immigration, finance, vigorous evangelical church-planting networks and prominent traditionalist expressions of worship such as the work of Revd Marcus Walker at St Bartholomew-the-Great, during the years Mullally was its diocesan bishop, the Diocese of London has managed to not just buck the growth trend but to shed 17% of its regular attendance.
Perhaps this shrinkage should come as no great surprise given what Sarah Mullally served-up at the announcement of her appointment - it would have starved any generations’ hunger pangs for 'full-fat Christianity'.
It was more a diet of John Major channelling George Orwell - “warm beer” and “old maids bicycling to Holy Communion through the morning mist”- than any attempt to satisfy present spiritual cravings.
Having delivered a pre-written prayer, as if reading from an autocue (a schoolboy’s later counterpart was noticeably less wooden), Bishop Mullally spoke of how, “In the apparent chaos which surrounds us, in the midst of such profound global uncertainty the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love... I hear parishioners ringing bells and inviting people to pray. I hear the quiet hum of faith in every community the gentle invitation to come and be with others and the welcome extended to every person. In all of this I see hope because I see the person of Jesus Christ reaching out to us all”.
Dished-up was, “The rhythms of Anglican worship echoed with familiar grace… made real in global diversity… joining their voices in advocacy for those in need,” and a portion of “people fleeing war and persecution to seek safety and refuge”, “communities that have been overlooked and undervalued”, “the ever-worsening climate crisis”, “the misuse of power in all its forms”, “Love one another- our source and our standard”, “quieter but stronger”, “If we want to go fast, go alone but if we want to go far, go together”.
Dame Mullally said that she wanted her legacy as archbishop to be “…to nurture and cultivate confidence in the gospel” but, unlike at the Charlie Kirk memorial, what was noticeably absent was any real explanation at all, let alone a 'confident' one, of what that gospel is. “Jesus Christ is the life-changing hope that brings us together as church, even in our own brokenness and messiness – and sends us out into the world to witness to that Love” or “Hope is made of the infinite love of God, who breathed life into creation and said it was good. Hope shimmered in the courage of Abraham and Sarah and the challenging call of the prophets. Hope resounded through Mary’s ‘yes’ to God’s call to bear His Son. Hope is found in Christ’s triumph over sin and death” are not meaty explanations of the gospel.
Where was the power of the words of Holy Scripture? A single reference to a single Proverb to go alongside the secular one already quoted is thin gruel indeed. Where was the call to come to church? Where was the call to repent and come to Christ? Where was the resurrection, eternity, hell, the new creation, holiness or conversion? Where was a firm affirmation of creedal Anglicanism in the year of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea? It was a whole series of missed open goals.
Well prepared but uninspiring, uncontroversial but unimaginative, politic but platitudinous, diligent but dull, is not the charisma and authenticity upon which Gen Z feeds. Instead, it all rather resounds with the grey managerialism of a safe pair of hands, a trusted establishment insider and renowned technocrat. It is continuity - 'Modern Church' - the world of someone from the privileged metropolitan elite, the public sector and institutionalism, who appears to have spent all but six of her 63 years living inside the M25 - and then at Salisbury Cathedral and in Devon. It is not the world in which Rubio, Turek, McCoy, Erika Kirk or Gen Z live.
Also, 'at home', Mullally is confronted by survivors’ groups who regard her appointment as a “disaster” and in a culture that places an ever-higher premium on being 'safe', that is a disaster for the Church. Others are understandably critical of her lack of rigorous theological training and experience of actually running a parish.
Abroad, a large part of the global Anglican Communion don’t recognise Sarah Mullally as a bishop at all, and an even greater number who reject her support of abortion and 'blessing' same-sex partnerships. Less than an hour after the announcement, Gafcon, representing about 75% of the Communion, receiving the news with “sorrow”, said that,
“This appointment abandons global Anglicans, as the Church of England has chosen a leader who will further divide an already split Communion.
“Though there are some who will welcome the decision to appoint Bishop Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy. Therefore, her appointment will make it impossible for the Archbishop of Canterbury to serve as a focus of unity within the Communion.
“However, more concerning is her failure to uphold her consecration vows. When she was consecrated in 2015, she took an oath to “banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrine contrary to God’s Word.” And yet, far from banishing such doctrine, Bishop Mullally has repeatedly promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.
“Since the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to guard the faith and is complicit in introducing practices and beliefs that violate both the “plain and canonical sense” of Scripture and “the Church’s historic and consensual” interpretation of it (Jerusalem Statement), she cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion. The leadership of the Anglican Communion will pass to those who uphold the truth of the gospel and the authority of Scripture in all areas of life.
“Gafcon gathered in Jerusalem in 2008 to reset the Anglican Communion back onto its biblical foundations. Today’s appointment makes it clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead. The reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of Gafcon, and we are ready to take the lead.”
The crowning achievement for most Archbishops of Canterbury is the highlight of hosting a “Lambeth Conference” of all the Communion’s bishops. One is due in 2032, the year before the archbishop is due to retire - but whether there will be a Communion to gather is doubtful.
Bishop Mullally may, as many say, be “really kind”. She may, as she says, “… intend to be a shepherd who enables everyone’s ministry and vocation to flourish, whatever our tradition…”, but the thing about shepherds is they have to know both where the good pasture is and where the wolves are.
Given that in less than two hours today Bishop Mullally repeated her failings at home and further alienated the Communion abroad, it is hard to imagine a worse start for the new incumbent of the chair of St Augustine, or a worse morning for the Church of England. There might be “Nothing like a Dame”, but she has just over six years from January to put things right.
Image Copyright Neil Turner
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