GAFCON Establishes Global Anglican Council

Conservative Anglican leaders from around the world convened in Abuja, Nigeria, this week to establish a new governing council, directly challenging the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and signaling deepening divisions within the global Anglican Communion.

The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, known as GAFCON, announced the creation of the Global Anglican Council during a conference that began on March 3. The council, comprising bishops, clergy, and lay members with equal voting rights, aims to provide shared leadership for what the group describes as the authentic Anglican Communion. In a unanimous decision, participants elected Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda as the council's chairman. Unlike the traditional role of the Archbishop of Canterbury as primus inter pares, or first among equals, Mbanda's position will involve collaborative decision-making rather than singular primacy, according to Bishop Paul Donison, GAFCON's general secretary.

The move comes amid growing tensions over theological differences, particularly regarding the ordination of women and the inclusion of LGBTQ individuals. GAFCON, which draws strong support from churches in Africa,...