Gafcon Declares Split from Canterbury, Forms New Global Anglican Communion

GAFCON Declares Split from Canterbury, Forms New Global Anglican Communion

The Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) has formally broken away from the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, declaring itself the legitimate “Global Anglican Communion.”

The announcement signals a major schism in global Anglicanism after years of tension over biblical interpretation, sexuality, and church authority.

A Historic Break

In a statement released on October 16 and titled “The Future Has Arrived,” Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop of Rwanda and chairman of the Gafcon Primates’ Council, said the move comes after “persistent departure from Scripture” within the mainstream Communion.

“Today, that future has arrived,” Mbanda said. “We gathered to fulfil our mandate to reform the Anglican Communion, as expressed in the Jerusalem Statement of 2008.”

Gafcon first met in Jerusalem in 2008 to counter what it saw as growing liberalism among Anglican leaders. The movement says it represents the majority of Anglicans, particularly across the Global South.

Why Gafcon Split

Gafcon leaders say their decision was driven by what they view as unbiblical changes in church leadership and doctrine. The controversy intensified after the appointment of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, a practicing lesbian, as Archbishop of Wales, and the naming of Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury  both of whom have expressed support for same-sex blessings.

Mbanda accused traditional Anglican institutions  including the Lambeth Conference, Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and Primates’ Meeting  of abandoning their commitment to Scripture.

“We cannot continue in communion with those who have overturned the Word of God as final authority,” he said.

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A New Global Communion

Gafcon’s new structure, called the Global Anglican Communion, will base unity solely on the Holy Bible. According to Mbanda, it mirrors the foundations laid during the first Lambeth Conference of 1867 and the Jerusalem Declaration of 2008, which emphasizes Scripture as “translated, read, preached, taught, and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense.”

The movement says its member provinces will no longer participate in meetings convened by Canterbury or contribute financially to the Anglican Consultative Council. Provinces are being urged to amend their constitutions to remove any reference to the See of Canterbury or the Church of England.

A Council for the Faithful

A new Council of Primates is being formed to oversee member provinces and elect a chairman. Membership will require adherence to the Jerusalem Declaration, described as the modern standard for Anglican identity.

Mbanda insisted that Gafcon has not left Anglicanism but rather reclaimed it.

“We have not left the Anglican Communion,” he said. “We are the Anglican Communion.”

Gafcon will officially celebrate and consolidate this new structure during the G26 Bishops’ Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, scheduled for March 3–6, 2026.

“Pray that we will lead our Communion in submission to the Holy Spirit as we hear the voice of Jesus in His Scriptures,” Mbanda added.

 

 

 

 

Content Credit: Moyosola Oni

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