The crisis within the global Anglican Church deepened on Friday as conservative leaders announced the formation of a new governing structure, the Global Anglican Council, effectively replacing the GAFCON Primates Council.
The announcement was made during the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) held in Abuja from March 3 to 6, where more than 500 clerics gathered, including 347 archbishops and 121 lay and clerical Anglican leaders from 27 countries.
The conference, themed “Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve…”, brought together Anglican leaders aligned with the conservative bloc of the church.
Chairman of the newly formed Global Anglican Council and Anglican Archbishop of Rwanda, Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, unveiled the decision while presenting a six-page document titled “The Abuja Affirmation.”
According to Mbanda, conservative Anglican leaders had for more than two decades called for repentance from what they described as doctrinal departures within the Anglican Communion.
He said recent actions by leaders of the traditional Anglican Communion structures had undermined core Anglican doctrine and biblical authority.
“Reordering the Anglican Communion is now necessary because a significant number of provinces who claim to be Anglicans have abandoned the authority of Scripture and failed to follow Christ faithfully,” Mbanda said.
He argued that disputes over issues such as human sexuality were symptoms of deeper theological disagreements within the church.
According to him, the leadership structures historically associated with the Anglican Communion — including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and the Primates’ Meeting — had failed to maintain doctrinal discipline and uphold biblical teaching.
Mbanda said conservative Anglican leaders therefore rejected what they described as the “Instruments of Communion,” accusing them of compromising scriptural authority and allowing divergent interpretations of doctrine.
He criticised recent Archbishops of Canterbury for what he described as permitting or endorsing developments within the Church of England related to the blessing of same-sex unions.
According to him, such actions contradict the Anglican Communion’s traditional position expressed in Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which declared homosexual practice incompatible with Scripture.
Mbanda said that despite this position, contrary teachings had continued to gain acceptance in some Anglican provinces.
He also criticised discussions during the Lambeth Conference 2022, where the issue was framed as a matter over which Christians could disagree while remaining in fellowship.
Under the new arrangement announced at the Abuja gathering, the GAFCON Primates Council will be replaced by the Global Anglican Council, which will serve as the principal leadership structure for conservative Anglican churches aligned with the movement.
Mbanda said leaders within the Global Anglican Communion would also be expected to disengage from the traditional Anglican structures associated with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
This includes refraining from participating in future Primates’ Meetings, Lambeth Conferences, Anglican Consultative Council meetings, or commissions linked to those institutions.
He added that the new structure reflects what conservative leaders view as the need to preserve doctrinal integrity within the church.
The development marks a significant escalation in long-running tensions within the global Anglican community over theology, authority and the direction of the church.
Observers say the move could further reshape relationships among Anglican provinces worldwide as divisions within the communion continue to deepen.
Friday Olokor in Abuja
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