Gafcon Media Release: Nairobi Cathedral welcomes Primates for GAFCON 2013

Thousands packed multiple services at Nairobi’s All Saints Cathedral on the eve of the Global Anglican Future Conference (Sunday 20th October).

Leading the joyous congregants was the Primate of Kenya and chairman of GAFCON, Eliud Wabukala, along with members of the GAFCON Primates Council and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Archbishop Justin Welby joined Archbishop Robert Duncan, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, Presiding Bishop Tito Zavala of the Southern Cone, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul of Sudan, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria and Archbishop Henri Isingoma of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Archbishops Duncan and Bishop Zavala joined in celebrating communion while Archbishop Welby preached, in a truly international event.

Read it all and there is a link to pictures

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, GAFCON II 2013, Global South Churches & Primates

9 comments on “Gafcon Media Release: Nairobi Cathedral welcomes Primates for GAFCON 2013

  1. Karen B. says:

    I’m a bit unclear about the 3rd paragraph (“Archbishop Welby joined…”)
    Does that mean that ++Wabukala, ++Duncan, ++Zavala, ++Deng Bul, ++Okoh and ++Isingoma are the only Primates attending GAFCON? That seems to be a pretty short list.

    I hope it’s a case of only these Primates being at the service this morning. What about ++Ntagali (Uganda), or ++Johnson (the new Primate of West Africa), or ++Mouneer (Egypt)or ++Ernest (Indian Ocean), or ++Rwaje (Rwanda)? I certainly was expecting some of these to attend.

    Can anyone post info on how many / which Primates were at GAFCON 2008 for comparison?

  2. tjmcmahon says:

    Karen B,
    I imagine it had more to do with travel schedules and such than anything else. Do remember that while Earnest and Anis share similar theology to the Gafcon primates, they are not members of the Primates council, and may or may not be attending, although I also hope they do. By the time ++Welby got around to deciding to show up, others may not have been able to alter their travel plans.

    And the meeting has not started yet.

    However, do note that this was only one of several services this morning, so it is quite possible that duties were shared around, and there are more Primates in Nairobi, the photos indicate that ++Wabukala, Welby and Duncan (and presumably Zavala per the press release) were all vested for the Eucharist- which, when you think about it, is a fairly interesting circumstance in and of itself.

    Archbishops Duncan and Bishop Zavala joined in celebrating communion while Archbishop Welby preached, in a truly international event.

    The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of a ‘new Anglican Communion’ saying new structures were needed for the 21st Century.

    Later the Primates and Archbishop Welby attended a luncheon reception.

    “It is a great privilege to have shared this lunch with you and to be here as you set off on this extraordinary week which I hope and pray will move the whole Anglican Communion forward.”

    Does it really mean anything? Maybe, maybe not. Given the current state of the Anglican Communion, I’ll take it. Let us pray that he is right, and Gafcon does move the whole Communion forward.

    And in case this is being followed by Fr. Andrew, who took the photos- well done. Things sure have changed over the last 5 years, haven’t they?

  3. tjmcmahon says:

    There is more over at Anglican Mainstream, including notes of the ABoC’s sermon this morning:
    http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2013/10/20/notes-of-archbishop-justins-sermon-to-gafcon-primates-in-nairobi/

  4. Katherine says:

    If Welby received at the Eucharist presided over by Duncan and Zavala, that seems significant in itself.

  5. Br. Michael says:

    I’ll wait until GAFCON actually does something before I get excited.

  6. CSeitz-ACI says:

    #2, I think it is relatively easy to determine what percentage of the Primates attended the Gafcon conference in Jerusalem and so have identified in some way with the movement.

  7. Karen B. says:

    Dr. Seitz, the complicating factor is that there has been such IMMENSE turnover among the Global South and GAFCON Primates since 2008 and even 2010 – 2011.

    Here is a list of GAFCON leaders / Primates present at the GAFCON Primates meeting in Bermuda in April 2010. All that I have marked with an asterisk are now retired:

    * The Most Rev’d Peter J. Akinola, Nigeria
    * The Most Rev’d Justice Akrofi, West Africa
    The Most Rev’d Robert Duncan, Anglican Church in North America
    * The Most Rev’d Emmanuel Kolini, Rwanda
    * The Most Rev’d Valentino Mokiwa, Tanzania
    * The Most Rev’d Gregory Venables, Southern Cone
    The Most Rev’d Eliud Wabukala, Kenya
    The Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh, Nigeria
    * The Most Rev’d Henry L. Orombi, Uganda
    The Most Rev’d Peter Jensen, Archbishop, Diocese of Sydney

    from here:
    http://gafcon.org/news/communique_from_the_primates_council_of_gafcon_fca/

    What about several of the new Global South Primates:
    Jacob Chimeledya of Tanzania
    Tilewa Johnson of West Africa
    Datuk Bolly anak Lapok of South East Asia

    Are these leaders orthodox? Will they commit to working together with GAFCOn and the Global South movement for the strengthening of the Communion? Just because a particular province was represented at GAFCON in 2008 does not mean it will automatically continue to support the movement. The huge turnover in Primates in recent years has me curious to see who will show up and take a stand for leading and shaping the future for the orthodox members of the Anglican Communion.

  8. Karen B. says:

    Thanks to the WONDERFUL Fr. George Conger who just sent me an email.

    Here is the current list of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Primates Council (often aka the GAFCON Primates Council)

    The Primates Council of the FCA:

    Tito Zavala, Southern Cone
    Robert Duncan, ACNA
    Nicholas Okoh, Nigeria
    Stanley Ntgali, Uganda
    Eliud Wabukala, Kenya
    Daniel Deng Bul, Sudan
    Henri Isingoma, Congo
    Onesphore Rwaje, Rwanda

    Peter Jensen, Secretary

    Active emeritus members:
    Peter Akinola
    Emmanuel Kolini

    I have since seen confirmation that Abp, Ntagali of Uganda is attending GAFCON, and presumably Abp. Rwaje of Rwanda will also be attending.

    It will be of particular interest to see if the new Primates of West Africa and Tanzania attend.

  9. CSeitz-ACI says:

    #8, that list is what I would have guessed.