All articles tagged with #gafcon
At a March 5, 2026 GAFCON gathering in Abuja, leaders scrapped plans to elect a primus inter pares and announced a shift to a conciliar leadership structure, rebranding the movement as the Global Anglican Council with equal voting rights for bishops, clergy and lay leaders; Archbishop Mbanda was named chair, signaling a broader, non-primus governance approach intended to avoid direct confrontation with Canterbury.
Conservative Anglicans in Abuja pulled back from electing a rival primus inter pares to the Archbishop of Canterbury and instead unveiled a new leadership council led by Rwanda’s Laurent Mbanda, while affirming Sarah Mullally as Canterbury. They frame their stance as doctrinal, not about gender or sexuality, criticizing Mullally’s support for same-sex unions. The move widens the split with the Church of England and creates a parallel leadership; Gafcon will not attend a forthcoming Anglican Communion conference in Belfast, and relations with the Church of England remain unclear, with some dialogue possible with the GSFA.
GAFCON's recent statement marks a significant shift in the Anglican Communion, emphasizing a return to biblical authority, rejecting flawed church instruments, and promoting a model of autonomous, Scripture-centered provinces. This move signifies a reordering of the global Anglican church, with implications for evangelicals worldwide, highlighting the courage of global South Christians, a model for biblical reformation, and the centrality of Scripture in church unity. It signals that the orthodox majority is leading the future of Anglicanism, inspiring evangelicals to stand firm on biblical truth.
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, issues a pastoral letter emphasizing unity, faithfulness, and ongoing reform within the church amidst recent statements by GAFCON, urging dialogue, prayer, and mutual submission to maintain the church's shared vocation.
The global Anglican Church is experiencing a major schism, with GAFCON breaking away from the traditional Anglican Communion over issues like biblical authority, gender roles, and LGBTQ inclusion, forming a new body that rejects the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, reflecting deep theological and cultural divisions.
GAFCON has declared a reordering of the Anglican Communion, emphasizing adherence to the Bible as the sole foundation and rejecting the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and other traditional instruments of communion, asserting that they are now leading the global Anglican community based on their interpretation of scripture.
Sarah Mullally's appointment as the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury has been met with mixed reactions, with conservative Gafcon group expressing sorrow and concern over her support for same-sex blessings, highlighting ongoing divisions within the global Anglican community over gender and sexual morality issues.
The secretary general of the Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, has defended the value of Anglican unity during his visit to the US, while a group of conservative Anglicans meeting in Rwanda have rejected the Archbishop of Canterbury's role as one of the four Instruments of Communion and cast doubt on the Anglican Communion's structure. Poggo has also focused on migration issues during his visit, calling on the church to respond to the needs of migrants and advocate for their rights and dignity.