The Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Sarah Mullally, will begin a 10-day pastoral visit to the Church of the Province of West Africa on Sunday, July 26, 2026, marking her first visit to Africa since she was installed as Archbishop of Canterbury in March 2026.
The visit, which is at the invitation of the Primate of West Africa and Bishop of Asante-Mampong, Most Revd Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, will take her to the Church of Ghana and the Diocese of Cameroon, both of which are part of the Church of the Province of West Africa.
During the visit, Archbishop Sarah will worship and pray with Anglican communities, engage with church leaders and congregations, and learn about the opportunities and challenges facing the church and the communities it serves.
Activities in Ghana
The Archbishop’s visit will begin in Accra on Sunday, July 26, where she will visit four local parishes before preaching at St Joseph the Worker Anglican Church, Kaneshie, during a Eucharist service led entirely by female clergy of the Anglican Church of Ghana.
After the service, Archbishop Sarah and Archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith will lay the foundation stone for a pilgrimage hostel under the Anglican Church in Ghana’s Heritage Anglican Culture Village and Resorts initiative.
The hostel, supported by USPG, will provide accommodation for members of the African diaspora visiting Ghana’s historic slave sites for cultural rediscovery and healing.
On Monday, July 27, Archbishop Sarah will pay a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House and later meet and pray with bishops of the Internal Province of Ghana.
On Tuesday, July 28, she will engage with ecumenical and interfaith leaders, the Anglican Young People Association, and members of the Mothers’ Union.
Visit to Kumasi and Cape Coast
The Archbishop will travel to Kumasi on Wednesday, July 29, where she will preach to more than 1,000 healthcare students at St Monica’s Nursing and Midwifery Training College.
She will also visit the nearby Mampong Babies Home and commission a new clinic at the college named in her honour. Archbishop Sarah previously worked as a nurse before becoming ordained.
During her stay in Kumasi, she will meet His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, at the Manhyia Palace, before preaching at an evening worship service.
On Thursday, July 30, she will travel to Cape Coast to visit Cape Coast Castle, a historic fort where enslaved Africans were imprisoned before being transported across the Atlantic during the transatlantic slave trade.
Visit to Cameroon
Following her time in Ghana, Archbishop Sarah will travel to Cameroon, where she will meet with Bishop Dibo Thomas-Babyngton Elango, clergy and Anglican congregations across the country.
Her engagements will include visits to Yaoundé, Douala, Buea and Limbe.
On Saturday, August 1, she will visit Biaka University in Buea and the Doctor Biaka Memorial Foundation, which provides specialist healthcare training for nurses and midwives. She will also meet Anglican clergy in Limbe.
On Sunday, August 2, Archbishop Sarah will preach at a service at Bishopscourt, the headquarters of the Diocese of Cameroon in Douala, and visit St Michael and All Angels’ Cathedral and Emmanuel Parish.
Before concluding her West African visit, she will hold a courtesy meeting with the Government of Cameroon in Yaoundé and attend a farewell service at St John’s Anglican Church on Tuesday, August 4.
Archbishop Sarah’s Message
Archbishop Sarah Mullally expressed excitement about the visit, saying she looked forward to worshipping and spending time with Anglican communities in Ghana and Cameroon.
She praised the Church of the Province of West Africa for its service across 19 dioceses and eight countries, describing it as a strong example of faith-based community support through churches, healthcare projects, youth programmes and the Mothers’ Union.
She said the visit would provide an opportunity to witness the work of the church and join believers across the region in prayer and fellowship.
Source: citinews
