We are grateful to God for the growth of the GSFA since the First Assembly (9th Trumpet) which is increasingly becoming a spiritual home, not just an ecclesial structure, modelling covenanted relationships to defend orthodoxy, promote mission, deepen discipleship and enable economic wellbeing. We lamented the departure from historic Anglican teaching which is now becoming entrenched in the senior leadership of the Church of England. However, we recognise that there are many in the Church of England, united in ‘The Alliance’, who have remained faithful and are offering an increasingly effective resistance to the revisionist agenda. It was a privilege for some of us to be present with over three hundred orthodox leaders in July last year and we assure them of our continued solidarity as they contend for the faith. As GSFA we are working to be truly a home for all orthodox Anglicans in which relationship based mission, mutual service, discipleship and practical action to care for one another are the flesh on the bones of our ecclesial structure. GSFA will also continue to engage for the time being with the IASCUFO Nairobi-Cairo proposals. Two sessions of our meeting were given to considering a comprehensive Strategic Plan which will enable GSFA to be an increasingly effective instrument for the reform of the Communion. We have in the past written about the need for a ‘reset’ of the Communion and it was achieved in principle by the introduction of the Cairo Covenant in 2019. This created a framework for a process of reformation which is the work to which we are now committed.

Read it all.

The most recent GSFA statement. Note: "The Alliance." https://t.co/4evXnL1gD8

— wyclif ⚓ (@wyclif) January 21, 2026

The GAFCON leadership is calling a conference (G26) for all orthodox Anglican bishops, who can sign the Jerusalem Declaration, in Abuja Nigeria in March of next year. All are welcome. This coincidently will be about the same time as the new Archbishop of Canterbury takes up her office. Her appointment was made without adequate consideration of the wishes of the majority of Anglican churches and her apparent liberal direction of travel means they have been presented with more of the same leadership that has failed to discipline wayward Provinces and restore any semblance of unity to the Communion post the widespread agreement after the Lambeth Conference in 1998. The Chairman of GAFCON said on the news of the appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury — “Due to the failure of successive Archbishops of Canterbury to guard the faith, the office can no longer function as a credible leader of Anglicans, let alone a focus of unity”. It would appear that Dame Sarah will find herself relating to a very different world-wide Communion. 

Again, coincidently and perhaps ironically, on the same day this week it was announced that the English House of Bishops has postponed any further implementation of the “Living in Love and Faith” process, which has been causing agony and division in the church for more than a decade. This has been abandoned because of legal and theological advice that has shown the bishops what they should have known already, that their proposals change the doctrine of marriage held by the Church of England. Such a change, though possible, must follow due synodical processes and decisions, and requires a two thirds majority to alter doctrine. As the current process has been shambolic and lacking integrity, it is good to see the bishops at last consenting to adhere to proper processes. However, this looks more like a press of the pause button rather than the delete one, and means that discontent will rumble on in the church.

It is no wonder then that GAFCON, which continues to support orthodox believers in the Church of England, has lost patience with its leadership, as it sees no real evidence of repentance or a change of heart about the liberal direction of travel. It wishes to stop wasting time in pointless squabbles and to bring together those who are firm in faith to get on with the task of bringing the Good News of the Gospel to a lost and suffering world. Compassion and clarity of doctrine are not enemies but ought to go together — the grace and truth only ever perfectly shown in the person of the Lord Jesus needs to be followed as far as possible by his followers.

Bishops in the early Church were noted and respected for their courage and adherence to the Apostolic Faith. Bishops today in the West, with thankfully a number of notable exceptions, have too often become uncertain trumpets, driven by expediency, who seem to want to sanctify current fashionable opinions more than to be faithful to their ordination vows to uphold the Christian Faith as revealed in the Scriptures. This is a sad and tragic state of affairs. To quote the Dutch/American theologian R.B.Kuiper — “The church that has grown indifferent to the truth is, to put it mildly, on its way out”. GAFCON shines a light of hope to a generation looking for an alternative to the faithless, materialistic, self-absorbed answers of the current western world. 

Read it all.

Bible believing Anglicans should be pleased that the new Archbishop has been ejected from the Anglican Communion, argues W. Gilchrist https://t.co/JSVc08XHj8

— The Critic (@TheCriticMag) October 22, 2025

A group of leading Anglican traditionalists this month announced a reordering of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Top bishops (primates) of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a renewal movement composed of both historic Anglican provinces and newly inaugurated Anglican churches, are seeking to bind the Anglican family not around a common tie to the See of Canterbury but around shared theological commitments. Among them the centrality of holy scripture. This is an outworking of what was called for at the group’s 2023 conference in Kigali, Rwanda. More on that from Bishop Paul Donison at The Gospel Coalition here.

GAFCON provinces already comprise the majority of adherents within the Anglican Communion member churches, which are functionally self-governing and autonomous while operating in relationship with one another. Both GAFCON and Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA), which have significantly overlapping membership, represent the vast majority of people within Anglican Communion, although each group has a different sensibility and strategy.

This is why recent headlines about schism are ill informed. No one is going anywhere, but neither is everyone looking to Canterbury as a central focal point of unity.

But will most provinces cease to look to the institutions, historic role, and financial resources of the Canterbury-led order? That remains to be seen.

Read it all.

Historic news for global Anglicanism today!

– The majority of Anglicans worldwide are, as of today, officially disaffiliated from the Church of England.
– GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) has declared itself the Global Anglican Communion.
– The Global Anglican… pic.twitter.com/4q4t57BAAj

— Larry Sanger (@lsanger) October 16, 2025

As the GAFCON statement affirms: that future has now arrived.

Reordering of the Communion

What is this future for Anglicanism? Three points stand out.

1. New Foundation of Communion

The statement says the Anglican Communion will now rest on a single foundation: the Holy Bible, “translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense.” This is a deliberate echo of the Reformation principle of sola Scriptura. In other words, unity is no longer defined by loyalty to Canterbury or participation in Anglican institutions but by submission to Scripture as God’s Word.

2. Rejection of Failed Instruments

The statement names and rejects the so-called “Instruments of Communion”—the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council, and the Primates’ Meeting. Why? Because they have consistently failed to uphold biblical truth, especially following the 1998 Lambeth Resolution I.10 which affirmed that Christian marriage is between a man and a woman. These “Instruments,” while once helpful, have fallen into revisionism.

3. Return to the Original Model

The statement emphasizes that GAFCON has not left the Anglican Communion. Instead, it claims the original vision: a fellowship of autonomous provinces united by the gospel and the Reformation formularies. This was how the first Lambeth Conference in 1867 understood Anglicanism and what held member provinces together in unity—before the so-called “Instruments” turned Canterbury into the sine qua non of what it means to be Anglican. Now, GAFCON says, the center of the Communion is not a person or an office, but the Word of God.

In place of the old “Instruments,” Gafcon proposes a Council of Primates (archbishops) from all provinces that affirm the Jerusalem Declaration of 2008, with a primus inter pares (“first among equals”) serving as chair.

Read it all.

Despite 25 years of warnings by most Anglican primates, repeated departures from the authority of God’s word have torn the fabric of the Communion.

—The Kigali Commitment https://t.co/eESYLlpxWM

— The Gospel Coalition (@TGC) April 25, 2023

From here:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.I write to share with you a statement released today by our GAFCON Chairman on behalf of the GAFCON Primates.It is an important statement. It is an historic statement.The future has arrived. What began with the first GAFCON gathering in Jerusalem in 2008 has now reached fruition. We have reordered the Anglican Communion.I commend to you a prayerful reading of this statement. It is especially notable that its release coincides with the commemoration of Bishops Latimer and Ridley. The flame they lit in England continues to burn brightly throughout our Communion today.There will be more to say in due course. For now, this statement is enough.COLLECT OF THE DAYHugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, Bishops and Martyrs, 1555Almighty God, you gave your servants Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.In the peace and hope of Christ Jesus,Archbp Steve Wood

Today, that future has arrived.

Our Gafcon Primates gathered this hour to fulfil our mandate to reform the Anglican Communion, as expressed in the Jerusalem Statement of 2008.

We resolved to reorder the Anglican Communion as follows:

1. We declare that the Anglican Communion will be reordered, with only one foundation of communion, namely the Holy Bible, “translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading” (Jerusalem Declaration, Article II), which reflects Article VI of the 39 Articles of Religion.

2. We reject the so-called Instruments of Communion, namely the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and the Primates Meeting, which have failed to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Communion.

3. 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.

4. Therefore, Gafcon has re-ordered the Anglican Communion by restoring its original structure as a fellowship of autonomous provinces bound together by the Formularies of the Reformation, as reflected at the first Lambeth Conference in 1867, and we are now the Global Anglican Communion.

5. Provinces of the Global Anglican Communion shall not participate in meetings called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, including the ACC, and shall not make any monetary contribution to the ACC, nor receive any monetary contribution from the ACC or its networks.

6. Provinces, which have yet to do so, are encouraged to amend their constitution to remove any reference to being in communion with the See of Canterbury and the Church of England.

7. To be a member of the Global Anglican Communion, a province or a diocese must assent to the Jerusalem Declaration of 2008, the contemporary standard for Anglican identity.

8. We shall form a Council of Primates of all member provinces to elect a Chairman, as primus inter pares (‘first amongst equals’), to preside over the Council as it continues “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

As I declared in my statement two weeks ago,“the reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of Gafcon, and we are ready to take the lead.”

Read it all.

"We are now the Communion." https://t.co/iSRqCmX1pj via @gafconference

— wyclif ⚓ (@wyclif) October 16, 2025

When the Church of England’s General Synod opened the door to the blessing of same sex relationships at its February 2023 General Synod she described this as ‘A moment of hope’. For us, it was a moment of lament because we believe that the teaching of Jesus and the whole of Scripture is fundamental to human flourishing, both now and for eternity, and should not be compromised by the pressures of a particular culture.

Sadly therefore, our position must remain as it was in our Ash Wednesday statement of February 2023 when we stated that we were no longer able to recognise the then Archbishop of Canterbury as the ‘first amongst equals’ leader of the global Communion.

Grievous though this turn of events is, it is not unexpected and is one further symptom of the crisis of faith and authority that has afflicted the Anglican Communion for the past quarter of a century. 

Read it all.

GSFA Statement on the Appointment of the Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, as the Archbishop of Canterbury https://t.co/IFGA33EpIc via @Anglican Ink © 2025

— George Conger (@GeorgeConger8) October 3, 2025

… more concerning is her failure to uphold her consecration vows. When she was consecrated in 2015, she took an oath to “banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrine contrary to God’s Word.” And yet, far from banishing such doctrine, Bishop Mullally has repeatedly promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.

In 2023, when asked by a reporter whether sexual intimacy in a same-sex relationship is sinful, she said that some such relationships could, in fact, be blessed. She also voted in favour of introducing blessings of same-sex marriage into the Church of England.

Anglicans believe that the church has been given authority by God to establish rites and ceremonies and to settle doctrine controversy, “and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God’s Word” (Article XX). The church cannot bless or affirm what God has condemned (Numbers 23:8; 24:13). This, however, is precisely what Bishop Mullally has sought to allow.

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. The leadership of the Anglican Communion will pass to those who uphold the truth of the gospel and the authority of Scripture in all areas of life.

Read it all.

“This appointment abandons global Anglicans, as the Church of England has chosen a leader who will further divide an already split Communion.”https://t.co/7JOa1byH9m

— The Anglican Diocese of the Living Word (@The_ADLW) October 3, 2025

The Most Reverend Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council, has called on all “orthodox” bishops within the Anglican Communion to join a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria in early March next year.

Gafcon is a global alliance of orthodox Anglicans who are opposed to the promotion and acceptance of homosexuality, particularly within the leadership of the church. It was founded in 2008, in part as a response to the consecration of the openly gay Gene Robinson as a bishop in the US Episcopal Church in 2003.

Archbishop Mbanda said that the next six months represent a “crucial” period for the Anglican Communion, and that the Gafcon meeting, to be held from 3 to 6 March, “may be the most important assembly of authentic Anglicans since Gafcon reset the Communion at Jerusalem in 2008”.

He warned, “Revisionists deliberately divide the Communion with schismatic actions that celebrate sin, as they appoint false shepherds to lead their flock away from God’s good word. But Jesus is building his church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail!”

Read it all.

The question of who qualifies as an evangelical and how many evangelicals exist worldwide continues to puzzle scholars, church leaders and mission researchers alike. That was the central theme of a Sept. 2 webinar hosted by the World Evangelical Alliance and released publicly Sept. 5, featuring two leading voices in global religious demography.

Dr. Gina A. Zurlo, editor of the World Christian Database and a lecturer at Harvard Divinity School, and Jason Mandryk, longtime editor of Operation World, outlined both the difficulties and the necessity of measuring a movement that is increasingly diverse and shifting rapidly toward the Global South.

Both experts agreed that unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy, or even Pentecostalism, evangelicalism has no universally agreed-upon definition. This makes the task of counting adherents unusually complex. Yet, they stressed, reliable figures are crucial for understanding how Christianity is changing worldwide.

Mandryk opened with a blunt assessment: “There is no such thing as the evangelical.”

Read it all.

Data from 2 studies show evangelical Christianity’s center of gravity has shifted from the US & Europe to African, Asian & Latin American regions.

Estimated to be approaching 1 billion globally, the evangelical population in China has now surpassed the UShttps://t.co/6B8knAxydH

— Julie Roys (@reachjulieroys) September 10, 2025

We do not judge people. We affirm God’s grace for all who turn to Him. But love does not mean ignoring sin. Unity cannot exist without truth.

This step by the Church in Wales makes it extremely difficult to find a faithful and lasting resolution to the divisions within the Anglican Communion. While many of us are diligently working to discern a way forward in this painful dilemma, continued actions of this nature hinder reconciliation, deepen the fractures, and risk rendering our efforts fruitless.

We continue to pray for the Church, and for strength to remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ.

Read it all.

We must confront serious error that compromises God’s glorious and authoritative word on human sexuality.

We must speak up and take a stand.

As we met to reform and renew the Anglican Communion in 2008, Gafcon delivered the Jerusalem Statement which outlined the true heart of Anglican orthodoxy.

We took a stand about the truth of God’s word, and we continue to stand in fellowship with the majority of the world’s Anglicans who grieve this rejection of God’s voice.

We must stand again against the relentless pressure of Anglican revisionists who blatantly impose their immorality upon Christ’s precious church.

Read it all.

Theologically orthodox groups within the Anglican Communion are lamenting the election of a bishop in a same-sex civil partnership as the new Archbishop of the Church in Wales. https://t.co/e039mqRoh2

— IRD (@TheIRD) July 31, 2025

Last week the most important Anglican conference that you have probably never heard of took place in Plano, Texas. G25 was a mini-conference organised by Gafcon, a movement which begin in 2008, when the Global Anglican Conference (Gafcon) was organised in Jersusalem.

In 2008, over 1,000 archbishops, bishops, clergy and lay people gathered to discuss the future for faithful Anglicans in a Communion in crisis. A crisis caused by those Gafcon describe as having “led the flock of Christ astray, diluted the authority of Scripture and distorted the gospel, endangering many souls.” 

Archbishop Akinola, one of its founding members, described the original conference as representing “a new dawn, a new beginning”, a means of, “gathering authentic Anglicans”, to, “reform”, “renew” and “reorder” the Anglican Communion. The Communique from the G25 mini-conference acknowledges that some have, however, considered Gafcon to be more controversial, “a sectarian and schismatic movement that has sought to undermine the unity of the Anglican Communion”.

The focus of G25 was to equip the next generation, so Gafcon took time to revisit the history. There was archive footage from the first conference, a video presentation from Archbishop Peter Jensen (the first General Secretary), and a panel discussion from those who were in the room (room 1614 to be precise) when the idea for a global gathering was first suggested.  

Read it all.

If you're an Anglican this might be the year's most important conference you haven't heard of. Report from @AnglicanFutures https://t.co/42xdgT0BLp

— Dan Leafe (@DanLeafe1) March 23, 2025

The Gafcon Primates Council met in Plano, Texas on Tuesday, 12 March 2025 and during the rest of that week held G25, a conference for Gafcon leaders with a special focus on the next generation of global bishops. Over 170 leaders from 25 countries were present, including 10 primates and 83 other bishops and archbishops. Gafcon continues its commitment to reorder the Anglican Communion in joyful submission to Holy Scripture. The theme of the Conference was ‘Leading the Renewal.’

We were graciously hosted by Christ Church Plano (CCP), a cathedral church of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), whose Rector and Dean, Bishop Paul Donison, also serves as the General Secretary of Gafcon. The staff and many volunteers of CCP and surrounding churches provided generous hospitality and gladly served our needs.

The Conference began with an uplifting and inspiring service of Holy Communion, with a sermon by the Primate of the ACNA, Archbishop Steve Wood. Each day began with Morning Prayer led by bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Myanmar, with clear and stimulating Bible teaching from the early chapters of Joshua by the General Secretary that encouraged us in our personal walk with Christ. We ended our time together with another service of Holy Communion, where the Primate of All Nigeria, Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, encouraged us from the word.

The first session provided an insight into how the Gafcon movement began, as a panel of founding fathers were interviewed. The Conference was reminded as to why and how the first GAFCON was held in 2008, under the leadership of Archbishop Peter Akinola, producing the Jerusalem Statement and the Jerusalem Declaration, our foundational documents which continue to guide our movement.

Gafcon has sometimes been criticised, even vilified, as a sectarian and schismatic movement that has sought to undermine the unity of the Anglican Communion. But that is simply untrue. We cherish the worldwide fellowship that we enjoy through the Anglican Communion. We have not left it, but have sought to renew it, as it was in 1998, when the Bible was at the centre of our life and we submitted to its authority. We represent the Anglican Communion as we stand for the orthodox Anglican theology that is upheld by a vast majority of the Communion. It is those who have promoted unbiblical teachings who have torn the fabric of our Communion and shown themselves to be out of step with the apostolic faith.

Revisiting our history is essential to understand the ongoing challenges facing the Anglican Communion today, especially as many of our conference participants were bishops who have been consecrated within the past five years. Gafcon continues to stand firm against error, re-stating and celebrating the truth of the gospel, recognizing authentic Anglican provinces and dioceses, and renewing the Anglican Communion for mission to the nations.

Through a mixture of presentations and small group consultations, the participants considered four defining features of Gafcon.

Gathering Authentic Anglicans

‘Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching’ (Hebrews 10:25). Gafcon began as a gathering of bishops, clergy, and laity, united in their commitment to affirm true Anglican identity around a shared understanding of the gospel and a commitment to the authority of Holy Scripture, rather than through communion with the failing office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Gafcon is a confessional fellowship of Anglicans held together by the theology, liturgy and vision of the Reformation Formularies. We rejoice in our theological unity and cultural diversity as we all ‘work and pray together in the common mission of Christ’ (Jerusalem Statement 2008).

Guarding God’s Gospel

‘Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you’ (2 Timothy 1:14). The gospel of Christ is precious as the good news of salvation, but it can easily be obscured or corrupted. Sadly, the Canterbury-based ‘Instruments of Communion’ have failed to guard this gospel against such corruption, or to exercise needed discipline within the church. Gafcon has taken up this responsibility by reaffirming the gospel of Christ, rebuking false teaching that undermines it, and providing theological resources. Where Anglican leaders in some regions have departed from the truth of the gospel, Gafcon has rejected their spiritual authority, and recognised new expressions of faithful Anglicans, in order to guard and boldly proclaim the life-giving gospel of Christ throughout the world.

Growing Orthodox Leaders

‘What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful persons, who will be able to teach others also’ (2 Timothy 2:2). Our conference speakers reminded us of the urgent need not only to equip current bishops and leaders, but also to continually raise up new leaders who will be faithful to guard and proclaim the gospel. Gafcon has sought to do this through the work of its conferences, its Bishops Training Institute (BTI), and, where necessary, its willingness to consecrate duly elected bishops in new and challenging areas of ministry. We were grateful to hear suggestions from both speakers and participants as to how we can further strengthen theological education around the Communion for the equipping of all God’s people for the work of ministry.

Generating Missional Resources

‘Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully’ (2 Corinthians 9:6). The mission of the church is hindered by a ‘poverty mindset,’ which proceeds from a fear of scarcity and an ingratitude for God’s gifts. This often results in a lack of available resources for ministry. Our speakers shared their own stories of God’s miraculous provision, as well as practical wisdom for how to partner together across provinces and utilise what God has given us to promote sustainable development and generate resources in our churches. Recognising that we have been gifted in distinct ways by God, we commit to use the resources that we have received in service of one another and of the kingdom of God.

We give thanks to God for the work of Gafcon and for our time together. We have prayed together, worshipped together, studied Scripture together, and been encouraged and edified by the faith that unites us across our differing languages and cultures.

Seventeen years ago, more than 1100 Anglicans from around the world came together in Jerusalem for the first GAFCON Assembly. That meeting could have been a one-time occurrence, but it was not. The Gafcon movement continues to grow, continues to gather, and continues to stand firm for the faith once delivered to the saints. We also continue to grieve over how some leaders in the Anglican Communion have led the flock of Christ astray, diluted the authority of Scripture and distorted the gospel, endangering many souls. We once again call them to repentance.

Our fellowship has not diminished but expanded. Our resolve to proclaim the gospel has not been weakened but strengthened. Our commitment to reform and renew the Anglican Communion has not wavered or faltered.

As we look forward to the future, we were inspired by the vision presented to us by our Gafcon Primates Council Chairman in his final address. He reminded us of who we are—a gospel people, a rooted people, an orthodox people, and a Bible people. He encouraged us to recommit ourselves to prayer, to self-sustainability within our churches, and to some of Gafcon’s key areas of ministry, including BTI, women’s ministry, and our conferences. He also outlined some new initiatives for Gafcon, including the development of a theological writing group and a theological commission, and the intentional deepening of relationships through inter-provincial visits.

G25 inaugurates a series of annual mini-conferences that will be taking place throughout the Gafcon world. Next year, G26 will be meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, and will have a special focus on the more senior leaders of our global movement.

As we conclude our time together, we rejoice in hope because we know that, despite all the threats and obstacles we may face as a global church, the one who has called us is faithful. He has begun a good work in us, and he will carry it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

To God be the glory!

Plano, Texas, USA
Friday 14th March, 2025

Bishop Julian Dobbs and Rev. Canon Marc Steele were in Plano, TX, this week for G25, a conference for GAFCON leaders. Read the Plano Statement from the conference here: https://t.co/WuW6ivsPYm

— The Anglican Diocese of the Living Word (@The_ADLW) March 15, 2025

From there:

To my brothers and sisters in the Gafcon family,

The recommendations of the December 2024 Report of IASCUFO (the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order) will fail to bring about renewal in the Anglican Communion.

There is merit in the leadership of the Primates’ Council and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) being handed over from the Archbishop of Canterbury to a rotating, international chair.

But their proposed restructure of the ‘Instruments of Communion’ fails to bring genuine renewal to our Anglican Church.

The IASCUFO recommendations weaken the foundations of our common doctrine by sanctifying the revisionist theologies of provinces and dioceses that have wandered from the truth.

They call on us to embrace the diverse theology of locally-authorised prayer books throughout the Anglican world, including those that have departed from the biblical doctrine of human sexuality expressed in our foundational 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

This only repeats and reaffirms the errors of successive Archbishops of Canterbury who failed to prevent the tearing of the fabric of the Anglican Communion by continuing to endorse those bishops and dioceses who had wandered from the truth.

To renew our Communion, we must submit to Holy Scripture.

The Bible is very clear: those who embrace immoral behaviour will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9), and if we will not trust the Bible’s teaching about sin, we cannot trust the Bible’s teaching about salvation.

Gafcon represents 85% of the world’s 85 million Anglicans, and we believe that the only ‘Instrument of Communion’ that ultimately matters is the word of God.

In two weeks’ time at our Gafcon G25 conference in Plano, Texas, we are gathering our senior leadership from around the world, along with some of our newest bishops, to consult together about how we will continue to lead the renewal of the Anglican Communion.

True unity can only be found in the faith once for all delivered to the saints, which alone can bring order to our beloved Anglican Communion, within which we steadfastly remain.

We give thanks for our brothers and sisters within the GSFA who desire that Anglicans everywhere would speak the truth in love, so that the people of all nations might believe in the Lord Jesus and be assured of their salvation.

The Most Rev’d Dr Laurent Mbanda
Chairman, Gafcon Primates Council
27th February 2025

Bell then comments:

‘Such a vision of unity is surely what must lie at the heart of any theological vision for the Anglican Communion. The gift of unity, intertwined with truth and holiness, empowered and initiated through and by love, flowing from its Trinitarian source, and finding its visibility not only in our structures and institutions but in our relationships and lives of Christian service, witness mission. Unity as gift and imperative sits above our disagreements requiring us not to contort ourselves into pseudo- agreement, but instead to recognise that metaphysical unity precedes our disagreements and will be revealed in different visible ways as we journey on together.’ (p.191)

What conservative Anglicans would want to say in response to these paragraphs is that Archbishop Rowan is right to say that the unity that all true Christians possess is the ‘pure gift’ of  ‘being summoned and drawn into the same place before the Father’s throne.’ However, they would want to add that this pure gift also includes a summons to ‘bear much fruit’ (John 15:8) or in other words to begin to live a new life enabled by the Holy Spirit which fulfils God’s intentions for his human creatures. In addition they would want to say that according to the witness of Scripture, and the uniform tradition of the Christian Church based on Scripture, living this new life involves living as the men and women God created us to be and observing a strict sexual ethic involving sexual faithfulness within (heterosexual) marriage and sexual abstinence outside it.  

Because they would want to say this, they would also want to say that unity is broken not only when Christians are not ‘able to see in each other the same kind of conviction of being called by authoritative voice into a place where none of us has an automatic right to stand,’ but also when they are not able to see in each other a recognition of God’s call to bear fruit in the ways just described. They would also add that this is what is currently the case in the Anglican Communion and in the Church of England.

In response to Bell’s comments conservative Anglicans  would agree that unity is both a gift and an imperative and would also agree that it is ‘revealed in different visible ways.’ However, they would say that these ways have to include Christians living as the men and women God created them to be and observing the Christian sexual ethic as outlined above.

Read it all.

We may subjectively dislike what God has said, but true Christian humility lies in accepting what God has said and acting upon it anyway' Martin Davie https://t.co/EUCULJ0Bk1 #anglican #marriage #theology #sexualethics #anthropology #scripture #religion #uk pic.twitter.com/WyjgnobT0k

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) February 10, 2023

The Church of England will be “a little less central to the common life [of the Anglican Communion]” if proposed changes in its leadership and structure are approved, Bishop Graham Tomlin, who chairs the Inter-Anglican Standing Committee on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO), acknowledged at a webinar on the Lambeth Call on Christian Unity.

Discussions focused on the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals from IASCUFO, which would mean that the 42 Churches of the Communion would no longer be described as “in communion with the See of Canterbury”, but as having “a historic connection” with it (News, 6 December 2024).

Further reinforcing the autonomy and equality of each, the presidency of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), traditionally held by Archbishops of Canterbury, would rotate around the Communion, a move made “in service of a de-centred, polycentric understanding of the mission of the Church. . . The leadership of the Communion should look like the Communion,” the report suggests.

Read it all.

Anglicans envisage ‘polycentric’ future https://t.co/50poLLNkZr

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) February 14, 2025

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)

We, the Gafcon Primates, meeting in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to celebrate the investiture of Archbishop Steve Wood as the third Primate of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and to welcome him as a Primate of the Anglican Communion, send greetings to the faithful.

We wish we could write to you about our great joy for mission, evangelism, and church planting, but recent statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury require us to yet again address an urgent matter surrounding biblical ethics confronting our beloved Anglican church.

The recent actions of the General Synod of the Church of England, where Archbishop Justin Welby has championed the introduction of same-sex blessings into the life of the Church of England, has galvanised the Gafcon movement in the ongoing reset of the Anglican Communion. However, Archbishop Welby’s recent explicit repudiation of Christian doctrine in his interview on Britain’s podcast, ‘The Rest is Politics,’ has brought us to repeat our serious call for his personal repentance.

In this interview, he publicly states that:

“all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship and whether it’s straight or gay. In other words, we’re not giving up on the idea that sex is within marriage or civil partnership. We’ve put forward a proposal that where people have been through a civil partnership or a same-sex marriage, equal marriage under the 2014 Act, they should be able to come along to their local, to a church, and have a service of prayer and blessing for them in their lives together.”

While he may claim not to have changed the doctrine of marriage, the Archbishop of Canterbury has demonstrably changed the doctrine of sin, by promoting the sanctification of sin by means of a divine blessing.

This is in clear breach of Holy Scripture, which unequivocally teaches that the only proper context for sexual intimacy is in the relationship of a man and woman who have been joined together in marriage. All forms of sexual intimacy outside of this context are condemned as immorality and are behaviors from which the people of God are regularly called to repent (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

It is also in clear breach of Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which rejected, “homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture,” and which the Archbishop as recently as 2022 declared to be the teaching of the Anglican Communion, including the Church of England.

We are guided by Jesus’ solemn words of warning to the Church of Thyatira, because, “they tolerate the teaching of Jezebel,” which endorses sexual immorality. Only judgment awaits Jezebel and all who follow her, unless they repent (Revelation 2:21-22; 22:15). Any toleration, let alone endorsement, of immorality is liable to God’s judgment.

For this reason, in response to his public comments, we solemnly repeat our call for Archbishop Justin Welby to personally and publicly repent of this denial of his ordination and consecration vows, where he promised to, “teach the doctrine of Christ as the Church of England has received it.”

Gafcon supports all faithful Anglicans, both those who have chosen to leave established provinces where the authority of Scripture has been compromised, as well as those who choose to remain as they seek to reform their province from within.

Therefore, we continue to champion The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) as Gafcon’s authentically-Anglican structural provision for those who cannot by conscience remain within the historic, revisionist structures.

Additionally, we express our support for The Alliance as they seek to stand firm in defense of biblical marriage within the Church of England, and we stand ready to defend, authenticate, and support them.

Finally, we declare afresh to all those in England who, “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to all the saints,” that you are not alone.

Gafcon Primates’ Council.
Reformation Day,
31 October 2024.

Gafcon rebukes Archbishop Welby and affirms orthodox Anglicans in England: “Archbishop Welby’s recent explicit repudiation of Christian doctrine … has brought us to repeat our serious call for his personal repentance.” #anglican https://t.co/jdxcicstUL

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) November 1, 2024

We request all the faithful in the GSFA to uphold our faithful brothers and sisters in the Church of England, bishops, clergy and laity, who have come together as ‘The Alliance’. We stand with them in the struggle that lies ahead as they seek to establish a new Province of the Church of England that will enable them to continue their witness to Jesus with integrity and freedom.

Despite the continued opposition of almost 50% of the Synod, the bishops of the Church of England have now succeeded in gaining support for services of blessing for same sex couples and the endorsement of a timetable to enable clergy to enter into same sex marriages.

With heavy hearts we see with increasing clarity that they will not be deterred from taking a path which is entirely contrary to the teaching of our Lord as held universally by the Christian Churches for two millennia and that they will continue regardless of the hurt and dismay suffered by faithful Churches of the Global South.

This latest development serves to illustrate the new reality that we felt compelled to articulate in the GSFA Ash Wednesday Statement of Feb 20th last year. The Church of England, has set itself to cement its departure from the historic faith by liturgical change. There can therefore now be no doubt that the Mother Church of the Communion has forfeited her leadership role in the global Communion and that the legacy ‘instruments of unity’, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other instruments over which he presides, (the Primates Meeting, the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Consultative Council) are all compromised.

Read it all.

Congratulations to Archbishop Justin Badi Arama who was enthroned as Archbishop of South Sudan this weekend!

We pray that God will use him to uphold the authority of scripture and the true gospel of Jesus Christ in South Sudan and beyond. pic.twitter.com/hxEWNPx93O

— GAFCON (@gafconference) April 25, 2018

It is a mistake to think that new wineskins must necessarily look like old ones. Sometimes, a design benefits from a little tweaking and it seems that the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans have done just that at their meeting in Egypt.

Having reaffirmed their view that the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury have forfeited their leadership role of the global Communion, the Assembly elected new leaders from among themselves.

In accordance with the Cairo Covenant, they have set up their own Primates Council, Council of Bishops and Assembly, reflecting three of the traditional Instruments of Communion.   Yet, interestingly they have chosen not to elect a new Archbishop of Canterbury, nor identify a new Seat of Augustine, nor appoint one of their own as ‘first among equals’.

As the Chairman of the GSFA, Rt Revd Justin Badi, explained in his opening address:

“All those who are committed to preserving the historic Anglican doctrine and teachings are the true Anglicans. We respect and relate to the seat of St Augustine. It is always our prayer that the person who sits on that seat will always be faithful to the faith we once received from the Saints and faithfully transmitted.

At first glance, the decision not to replace the Archbishop of Canterbury appears to be a mark of respect and a way of leaving the door open for repentance and reconciliation. Some have even seen it as a mark of weakness.

Yet placed in context, this decision appears to be at the heart of the GSFA redesign.

Read it all.

Is it possible that the GSFA have, in fact, replaced the Archbishop of Canterbury – not with a person – but with a covenant? @JustinBadiArama https://t.co/ks44sjk148

— Anglican Futures (@AnglicanFutures) June 20, 2024

The First Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches – GSFA 9^th Trumpet, 11-15 June 2024, St Mark’s Conference Centre, El Khatatba, Egypt

“I Will Make You As A Light To The Nations” (Isaiah 49:6)

A.   Preamble

1. A total of 200 participants from across 40 nations gathered as orthodox Anglican leaders for the 1st Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA). This is the first Assembly of the GSFA after the Global South Churches adopted a new Covenantal Structure in 2019 to bind their communion in Gospel life and witness together as a covenanted ecclesial body within the Anglican Communion. To maintain continuity with the past and remember our roots, we have chosen to recognise GSFA’s 1st Assembly as also the 9th Trumpet of Global South churches since its first gathering at Limuru, Kenya in 1994.

2. As at June 2024, 11 Provinces have become fully covenanted members of GSFA through their respective synodical processes. There are also 3 Associate Member dioceses and 14 Mission Partners comprising Anglican networks, theological colleges and mission societies. We were joined by special guests and observers. At the 1st Assembly, in total, there were 13 active Primates, 44 Bishops, 46 Clergy and 36 Lay leaders present.

3. As an Assembly, we expressed our deep appreciation to Archbishop Samy Shehata, the Primate of Alexandria, and to the people of the Diocese of Egypt for their outstanding Middle-Eastern hospitality extended to us during our stay in Egypt.

4. We also expressed our gratitude to the government authorities of Egypt for providing us a safe environment in which to meet as well as their readiness to process travel visas where needed.

5. We were tremendously blessed that our Primates, bishops and Assembly participants had a personal audience with Pope Tawandros II, the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church; and that Pope Tawandros II expressed keenness to build the fellowship with the GSFA as an expression of the ecumenical unity of the body of Christ.

Read it all.

“People have made their stand for the gospel of Christ against false ideologies for the sake of their countrymen,” Archbishop Kanishka Raffel of Sydney preaches at Global South Assembly. “Bishops have sworn, along with presbyters, to drive away false teaching.” #anglican pic.twitter.com/y1fl3Wkc1s

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) June 15, 2024

The Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) achieved their third objective of Assembly 2024: the election of godly leaders among the Primates Council, the Council of Bishops, and the Assembly. The Assembly must have a standing committee, or board (Section 3.3). Like most dioceses and provinces, the Global South Assembly meets at a regular time every three to four years, but between its meetings it must have a group of people elected by them to carry on its work. If you go to the Cairo Covenant, you can see all the things the board must do in Section 3.3.3. Last night the lay delegates, clergy delegates, and bishop delegates of the Assembly elected representatives: three bishops, seven clergy, and seven laity. From North America, Bishop Alex Farmer was one of the three bishops elected to the board; from the clergy, myself and Venerable Daryl Critch; from the laity, Ms. Rachel Thebeau was elected and was unanimously voted Secretary of the Board. The board then met at noon today and received the GSFA marching orders on how we will carry the work of this Assembly moving forward. Please keep the Board in your prayers.

Secondly, the Council of Bishops had to elect a Faith and Order Commission (FOC) as explained in Section 3.4.4. As I have written elsewhere, the FOC is a critical component of the GSFA covenantal structures. The FOC is the operational means for guarding the faith and order of the GSFA. It can be called at any time to meet with the Primates Council. It may also be directed by the primates to meet separately to address matters of faith, order, and discipline. Normally the FOC is the first body that receives a question or proposed innovation with regards to the faith and order of the whole body. It is the FOC which makes recommendations to the bishops council and to the primates on what to do. It also has the authority to enlist the help of proficient members, lay and clergy, to assist it in the subject under study. In the election for the FOC, the bishops chose from North America, the Rt. Rev. Alex Farmer, and from Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Alfred Olwa.

The highest body within the GSFA is the Primates Council. Once the board and the bishops were elected, the primates gathered alone to pray and discuss among themselves who would be the Chair, the Deputy Chair, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. It should be noted that the Secretary will be the member of the Primates Council to whom the Secretariat or Administration will report. Last night, after praying and discussing, the primates elected Abp. Justin Badi of S. Sudan as Chair, Abp Samy Shahata of Alexandria as Deputy Chair, Abp Stephen Kaziimba of Uganda as Treasurer, and Abp Titus Chung of SE Asia as the Secretary. In addition, the primates elected three other primates for a Steering Committee: Abp Titre Ande, of Congo; Abp Miguel Uchoa, of Brazil; and Abp. Stephen Than, of Myanmar.

Read it all.

Canon Phil shares about what happened to start building the structures of the GSFA Council and Assembly: How does it work and what's the plan? https://t.co/x6uUCVk7Vd

— American Anglican (@AnglicanCouncil) June 15, 2024

So, what’s the way out?

Step forward, Revd Sam Ferguson, the Rector of The Falls Church Anglican in Virginia, USA, who also addressed the GSFA gathering.  

Revd Ferguson does not see the current controversies as a threat, or something to be managed, or put to one side – instead he explained that the controversy was a gift and an opportunity.  “If you look at the history of the Church”, he said, “Christian doctrine is typically produced in the pressure of heresy and controversy, not in a vacuum.”

He described the LGBTQ movement as, “a flower on a tree, that is a completely a new way of understanding what it means to be human – so underlying the whole LGBTQ movement are a whole different set of assumptions about being human.” 

His thesis was that to address these assumptions, which affect us all, the Church needs to discover an ever more compelling vision of biblical anthropology, which will then shape our response with compassion and clarity.  Compassion for individuals who experience pain. Clarity because the truth is not subjective.

Living up to the challenge, in less than an hour, he set out three of the unarticulated assumptions which shape the world in which we live and are seen in the LGBT movement.  He then offered a glorious, biblical alternative to each one. 

1. I am a self-made individual, answerable to no-one
2. My sense of self is located in my feelings rather than any objective reality
3. I find my hope in happiness (and sex) and my healing in transition

As he travelled from creation to the new creation, Ferguson showed compassion for the fallen world and pointed to the resurrection hope for hurting people.  He challenged those present that the church needed to offer “a thick enough ecclesia, Christian community, to come around people who are hurting – but it is a Spirit-shaped community and a Spirit-shaped transformation.”

The presentation was steeped in his own American culture, yet his biblical exegesis landed with those from all nations.  The Q&A just kept going and when time was eventually called, he was surrounded by delegates from all over the world. There was no ‘deep listening’ – but those listening wanted more. 

Read it all.

The CofE bishops are stuck because they cannot agree on the answer to a simple question – “Is same-sex sex sinful?” Can the GSFA Assembly help? https://t.co/JKE1AgzVya

— Anglican Futures (@AnglicanFutures) June 14, 2024

In his workshop today on Anglican identity and how Anglicans read the Bible, the Rev. Dr. Ashley Null made this very point by citing Cranmer’s work. He explained how Cranmer is the forebearer of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, the first Bible my parents gave to me. If you’ve ever read that Bible, you know that when a particular word or topic appears in the scripture, there is a number that takes you to a list of all the scriptures that cite that same word, theme, or topic. This is exactly what Cranmer did in his work. He took to heart St. Augustine’s teaching that we should always let scripture interpret itself. Scripture interprets scripture. When a passage of scripture is “dark,” in Cranmer’s words, we should look for a passage where the same word, passage, or theme is used in a way that brings its meaning to light.

Therefore, the sixteenth century Anglican reformers understood sola scriptura to mean that we read the scripture together in light of both the scripture itself and the church that has gone before us. As an example, Dr. Null described a historic incident where a German prince sought a biblical interpretation from Luther and Melanchthon that would have allowed him to consort with one favorite mistress over his many others—a scandal they sought to justify using the Old Testament. Cranmer responded with a condemnation of their supposed biblical defense on the grounds that, since the time of Christ and the New Testament, no one in scripture ever permitted or justified bigamy. In other words, if you come up with a new interpretation of the Bible that no one has ever come up with, by definition, it must be wrong.

The Bible study this morning raised questions about the extent to which deep listening (as Archbishop Chung described it) is within the boundaries of the fundamental declarations in the Cairo Covenant which are the plain and grammatical reading of scripture and its historic interpretation by the Church fathers. At best, the message of deep listening struck a confusing chord. This may be a moment for the primates of the Global South to bring clarity out of the confusion by restating how we study the Bible together in keeping with the fundamental declarations of the Cairo Covenant and not simply in keeping with our own cultures.

Read it all.

Canon Phil's report on Day 3, Thursday, of the GSFA Assembly 2024: https://t.co/gdWvbcV8Y0

— American Anglican (@AnglicanCouncil) June 14, 2024

The African church has one reputation of being a mile wide but an inch deep. Bishop Alfred Olwa, in his workshop on Theological Education, said that while that reputation may not be entirely true, it reflects a grim reality that must be combatted with good, in-depth, and scripturally sound theological education.

The fact that now, years after the development of GSFA, we are still talking about the need for good theological education shows there are issues have not yet been addressed. Bp. Olwa stated that, “As the seminary goes, so goes the Church. The life of the church members and their ministries will reflect what has been taught in theological schools.” Similar warnings went out decades ago, yet the Global South is still struggling against false teaching among its members and the Anglican Communion as a whole. It still needs to find firm footing on historic and scriptural Anglican theology in a way that anchors all the churches in the Communion. Theological education more rooted in psychology and sociology isn’t just affecting the West. Bishop Olwa made it clear that it’s affecting historically conservative churches in Africa as their seminaries receive money, teachers, and influence from progressive sources. He outlined a number of shortfalls in recent years that have limited the church’s maturity and its ability to meet the challenges of the day even among biblically faithful leaders. First, schools measure success by purely academic standards rather than a holistic approach to learning that encompasses the entire person and their ministry. They also minimize the requirements for what maturity looks like and focus on knowledge rather than character. Finally, more pastoral training that includes healing and deliverance is needed so that demonstrations of God’s power accompany the proclamation of scripture.

Read it all.

The African church has one reputation of being a mile wide but an inch deep. Bishop Alfred Olwa, in his workshop on Theological Education, said that while that reputation may not be entirely true, it reflects a grim reality https://t.co/EHf56fWqOA

— American Anglican (@AnglicanCouncil) June 13, 2024

Listening to Archbishop Justin Badi Arama’s keynote address at the opening of the first Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) was a breath of fresh air.  There was none of the hand-wringing and contorted word salad that we have come to expect from English bishops.  

Looking out at the 200 or so men and women gathered from about 40 countries, he described them as the, “holy remnant of the Anglican Communion”.  “They hold fast,” he said, “to God’s word as ‘the faith once delivered’ (Jude 3) and seek to obey it in their lives.  They are those who have resisted bowing to the demands of revisionism.  They have committed themselves to proclaim and live out the authentic gospel truth.”

And although that truth has to be lived out amongst, “increased hostility and persecution”, “suffering, injustice and chaos,” the Archbishop of South Sudan offered hope to those gathered, “But our God is never late. As we pray and work for his renewing kingdom, He will even harness the work of the forces of evil to achieve his salvation purposes.  In the midst of darkness, the glory of God will shine on his people; and through his people that light will bring life and hope to all who call on the Lord.  The nations will see and experience the salvation that only God can bring.”

There was, however, deep sadness and disappointment in his voice, as he spoke of, “the revisionism which is now openly accommodated by some provinces.”  Archbishop Justin Badi Arama said, “We deeply lament the current situation in the Church of England and in revisionist Provinces.  We pray that they will, ‘come out of Babylon’ (Isaiah 48:20) and return to obeying God’s word. Though they always say we are crazy – ‘Why should we repent?’ But we consistently say, ‘Repent of your sins and believe the Good News’ – that is the message and we are praying and waiting for them.”

Archbishop Justin Badi's Keynote speech had everything – gospel focus, concern for the world, dependence on God's word and Spirit … and a snake. The GSFA is not running away. https://t.co/GxtjjK859W

— Anglican Futures (@AnglicanFutures) June 11, 2024

As hundreds gathered together to worship Christ in the Egyptian wilderness, they sang “I Surrender All” before receiving Holy Communion. The wilderness of Egypt is where, for centuries, Christian ascetics wandered in the Spirit of Moses and the Israelites to struggle against their passions, unite their spirits with the Spirit of God, and form monastic communities dedicated to prayer, service, and the crucifixion of their flesh. They fought to surrender all, to face the demons of the arid places, and to carry their crosses. The land of Egypt, and particularly the city of Alexandria, is also the land of martyrs, consecrated virgins, evangelists, theologians, and church fathers who who gave themselves to the cause of Christ and his Gospel.

Now, as the GSFA gathers and sings “I Surrender All,” the question remains whether those in leadership will walk out this song in their own life and in the life of the GSFA. Will we gather together to truly surrender all—to surrender our hearts, our bodies, our minds to the Lord?

GSFA Assembly 2024 begins with worship! pic.twitter.com/o8edEdGMaV

— American Anglican (@AnglicanCouncil) June 11, 2024

GSFA First Assembly

11 – 15 June 2024, Egypt. Theme: “I Will Make You as a Light For The Nations …”. (Isaiah 49:6)

The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) is a recognised grouping within the  Anglican Communion which includes some 75% of Anglicans worldwide and traces its origins to the  first ‘South to South’ Encounter in Kenya in 1994. Since then, regular ‘Encounter’ gatherings have  brought the voice of Global South to the wider Anglican Communion and next week, 11^th-15^th June, a  group of 200 leaders is being gathered by the GSFA in Egypt as its ‘1^st Assembly’ under a new  Covenantal structure. 

The Assembly will meet in the context of the rapid growth of Anglican Churches of the Majority  World, in contrast to the Western Churches which, on the whole, have been unable to resist a  cultural drift away from orthodox Christianity. 

Press release from the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans ahead of the June 11-15 Assembly in Egypt. I'll be present as a journalist / observer. #anglican pic.twitter.com/NnuMG5yLRv

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) June 6, 2024

Then, as now, the majority of global Anglicans believed that apostolic teaching calls for those engaging in sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage to be loved by the church and called to repent. Without repentance, such a person cannot be considered a “true shepherd” and therefore should be precluded from ordination or consecration. It was, therefore, TEC’s willingness to consecrate a man in a same-sex relationship which tore “the fabric of [the] communion at its deepest level.”

Returning to the events of Saturday 11th May 2024, Bishop Jill Duff told Anglican Futures that she was asked to attend the consecration of Bishop David Morris as a representative of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York…. She was very clear that it was in that capacity, rather than as an honorary assistant bishop in the Church in Wales, that she did so .

This raises a number of issues of national and international significance:

First, this means a bishop of the Church of England was involved in the consecration of a man whose conduct would prevent him from being consecrated as a bishop in the Church of England.

Read it all.

When @AnglicanFutures publishes a piece like this it quickly becomes obvious that the only real sin for @churchofengland bishops is to dissent from the idea that truth is best regarded as being plural. Nearly 3,000 reads shows how wrong that is. https://t.co/Z5hLAuYA8D

— Dan Leafe (@DanLeafe1) May 19, 2024

A Response to the Primates Meeting in Rome

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council pic.twitter.com/6RodpHUpkd

— Gafcon (@GafconGBE) May 6, 2024

You may find the link to the text of the full letter there.