A Pilgrimage of Unity: Archbishop of Canterbury Embarks on 12-Day West African Mission to ‘Listen and Learn’ Amidst Communion Tensions

In a bold stride toward mending frayed ties within the global Anglican family, the Most Rev. Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is set to embark on a 12-day pastoral visit to Ghana and Cameroon this July. Announced from Lambeth Palace, the journey—running from 26 July to 8 August 2026—comes at the invitation of the Primate of West Africa, Dr. Cyril Kobina Ben Smith, a recent attendee of her historic Installation at Canterbury Cathedral. Described by her office as a mission to “learn and listen,” the tour aims to strengthen the bonds between the historic See of Canterbury and the Church of the Province of West Africa, a vast ecclesial body spanning 19 dioceses across eight nations. The Archbishop’s itinerary is framed as a commitment to sharing in the “life, witness and mission” of Anglicans in the region, while fostering deeper ecumenical relationships across the continent.

The pilgrimage to West Africa unfolds against a backdrop of significant internal strife within the worldwide Anglican Communion, where Archbishop Sarah has faced persistent conservative backlash over her stances on sexuality and women’s ordination. Just weeks before the announcement, the GAFCON movement, a coalition of traditionalist Anglicans, unveiled a new leadership council in a move widely interpreted as a challenge to Canterbury’s global authority. Nevertheless, the Archbishop’s office emphasized that her installation drew representation from 32 provinces, including 26 primates, signaling that pathways for dialogue remain open. As she prepares to journey to Ghana and Cameroon, the Archbishop seeks to prioritize personal fellowship and prayer over polemics, building on the ecumenical meetings held after her enthronement. For a Communion wrestling with its identity, this West African sojourn represents a critical test of whether personal presence can bridge the ideological chasms threatening to redefine Anglicanism for a new era.