A New Chapter for Orthodox Anglicans: GAFCON’s Departure from Canterbury
The Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) has announced a significant reorganization within the Anglican community, marking a defined step away from the traditional leadership ties to the archbishop of Canterbury. This shift will see the formation of the Global Anglican Communion, a body distinct from the existing Anglican Communion headquartered in Canterbury.
In a move unveiled on Thursday, GAFCON declared its mission to reshape the Anglican Communion by anchoring solely to the Bible, disregarding any spiritual oversight by the archbishop of Canterbury or associated Institutes of Communion like the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC).
“We cannot continue to have communion with those who advocate the revisionist agenda, which has abandoned the inerrant word of God as the final authority and overturned Resolution I.10, of the 1998 Lambeth Conference,” stated the Most Rev Laurent Mbanda, chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council and Primate of Rwanda.
GAFCON’s vision involves restoring the Anglican Communion to its original framework, reminiscent of the first Lambeth Conference in 1867, by emphasizing autonomous provinces unified by the Formularies of the Reformation. The newly established Global Anglican Communion will hold its initial meeting from March 3 to March 6, 2026, in Abuja, Nigeria.
As part of this transformation, affiliated provinces are advised to update their constitutions, eliminating any reference to communion with the See of Canterbury or the Church of England.
The declaration of GAFCON’s realignment follows the historic appointment of Sarah Mullally as the first female archbishop of Canterbury. However, GAFCON was quick to express disapproval, urging Mullally to reconsider her stance on same-sex blessings.
Archbishop Mbanda emphasized, “Since the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to guard the faith and is complicit in introducing practices and beliefs that violate both the ‘plain and canonical sense’ of Scripture and ‘the Church’s historic and consensual’ interpretation of it (Jerusalem Statement), she cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion.”
Through this strategic shift, GAFCON aims to champion leadership that remains steadfast in upholding the gospel’s teachings and the Scripture’s authority throughout all aspects of life.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
