Church of Nigeria Vs Bishop Sarah Mullally: The deep rooted misogyny the church refuses to name

When the Church of Nigeria announced it was cutting ties with the church of England following the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the headlines focused on "doctrinal disagreement." But let's be honest, what we are witnessing is not is not just theology in dispute. It is the old spirit of patriarchy and misogyny, still deeply entrenched within the Anglican Communion, wearing the robe of righteousness.

The official statement from the Church of Nigeria condemned Mullally's elevation, "a violation of scriptural order" and "a disregard for long held convictions." The problem? These convictions are not rooted in the gospel, they are rooted in historical system that has long treated women as spiritual subordinates, fit for service, but not for authority.

The False Doctrine of Male Superiority

For centuries, many church doctrines have preached the idea that leadership is a male-only calling. Yet nowhere does the Scripture declare that gender is a prerequisite for spiritual authority. Those who insist on it rely on cultural conditioning than biblical command.

Take Galatians 3:28, where Paul declares; "There is neither male of female, for you are all on in Christ Jesus."

That verse alone dismantles the notion that God ordains male dominance in His church. Spiritual Gifts are not gendered as the Holy spirit empowers both men and women to teach, lead and minister.

Likewise, in Acts 2:17-18, Peter quotes the Prophet Joel saying; "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy... even on my male and female servants, I will pour out my spirit."

The early church recognized this, women like Priscilla, Phoebe and Junia were leaders, teachers and even apostles (See Romans 16). The very foundation of the Christian mission involved women proclaiming the resurrection, while the men hid in fear!!!

The Misused Verses of Silence

The patriarchy theology often leans on 1 Timothy 2:11-12 "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man."

But this passage read in context refers to a local corrective in Ephesus, not a universal ban on woman's leadership. Even Paul himself worked alongside women in ministry, so why would he contradict his own practice? Because the letter addressed a specific church, not a divine decree for all generations.

To turn that one verse into a lifelong license to silence women is not faithfulness, it is fear disguised as doctrine.

The Real Issue: Control

What we are seeing in the Nigerian Anglican rift is not just theological caution, it is institutional control. The discomfort of Bishop Mullally's appointment reveals how much of the church's hierarchy still clings to male centered definition of authority. It is not that women can not lead, it's that some men can not bear to be led by a woman.

Tradition is often used as a shield. "We have always done it this way" becomes the unspoken creed. But tradition, when left unchallenged becomes tyranny. The same arguments once used to defend slavery, segregation and silencing the poor are now recycled to deny women their rightful place in leadership.

The Hypocrisy of the Holy

It is particularly ironic that those who claim to defend biblical truth forget that Jesus himself broke every patriarchal boundary of his day. He allowed women to sit at his feet and learn (Luke 10:39). He entrusted women with the first news of his resurrection (John 20:17-18). He made them carriers of the gospel.

So when men in collars and miters argue that a woman cannot lead in Christ's name, they are not protecting faith. They are protecting their power.

Unity in Christ can not exist when half the body is silenced. The same spirit that anoints men also anoints women. To deny that is deny the spirit of sovereignty.

The church must repent of the misogyny it has baptized in doctrine and start listening to what the scripture actually says. The scripture teaches equality, mutual submission, and spirit led gifting, not gender-based gatekeeping.

Bishop Sarah Mullally's appointment should not be a point of division, it should be a mirror. A mirror showing us how far we still are from the inclusive kingdom Christ envisioned.

Until the church names its patriarchy for what it is, it will keep mistaking oppression for orthodoxy.

The gospel does not need defending from women, it needs defending from those who refuse to let women speak.