The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, is in the middle of a 10-day pastoral tour of Ghana and Cameroon, making her first visit to Africa since becoming the first woman to lead the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Archbishop Sarah arrived in Accra on Sunday, July 26, at the invitation of the Primate of West Africa and Bishop of Asante-Mampong, the Most Revd Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith. Her visit focuses on the Church of the Province of West Africa, which spans 19 dioceses across eight countries. Church officials say the trip is intended to strengthen ties between the See of Canterbury and the province while deepening relationships with other Christian traditions.
She began her visit by touring four Anglican parishes in Accra before preaching at St Joseph the Worker Anglican Church in Kaneshie during a Eucharist led entirely by female clergy from the Anglican Church of Ghana. Together with Archbishop Cyril, she also laid the foundation stone for a pilgrimage hostel that forms part of the church’s Heritage Anglican Culture Village and Resorts project.
The tour took on a diplomatic dimension on Monday when Archbishop Sarah paid a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama at the Presidency. Mahama described her appointment as the first woman to occupy the 1,400-year-old office as a historic milestone and said it reflected the growing role of women in spiritual, professional and public leadership.
The president also highlighted the Anglican Church’s long history in Ghana, tracing its roots to early missionaries in Cape Coast and to Philip Quaque, who travelled to England in the 18th century for training before helping establish schools in the country. Later that day, Archbishop Sarah met with bishops of the Church of Ghana for prayer and discussions about the opportunities and challenges facing their dioceses.
A former nurse, Archbishop Sarah is expected to draw on her healthcare background during her visit to Kumasi, where she will commission a new clinic named in her honour at St Monica’s Nursing and Midwifery Training College. She is also scheduled to meet the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at Manhyia Palace before preaching at an Evensong service.
Her itinerary extends beyond church affairs. During the Ghana leg of the visit, she is expected to meet young people, members of the Mothers’ Union, and ecumenical and interfaith leaders. On Thursday, July 30, she is also due to visit Cape Coast Castle, one of West Africa’s most significant former slave-trading sites. The stop is expected to carry particular symbolism as the Church of England continues to confront its historical links to slavery.
After Ghana, Archbishop Sarah will travel to Cameroon, where she will visit the Diocese of Cameroon under Bishop Dibo Thomas-Babyngton Elango. The tour runs from July 26 to August 8 and is intended to strengthen the relationship between the See of Canterbury and the Province of West Africa while encouraging closer ecumenical cooperation.
Ahead of the visit, Archbishop Sarah said she was looking forward to spending time with Anglican communities in Ghana and Cameroon. She described the Province of West Africa as “a beacon of faithful service, boldly living out the good news of Jesus Christ” through its parish churches, healthcare ministries, youth programmes and work with women.
The visit also comes at a pivotal moment for the Archbishop as she continues to lead the Anglican Communion through debates over sexuality and the role of women in church leadership, issues that have remained at the centre of global Anglican discussions since her installation at Canterbury Cathedral in March.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah