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G26 Statement - a new start for Global Anglicans

Updated: Mar 7



A communiqué issued at the conclusion of the GAFCON Council gathering in Abuja this week signals what leaders describe as a significant step in the ongoing “reordering” of the Anglican Communion. Bishops and Anglican leaders from around the world met from 3–6 March in Nigeria to consider the implications of the October 2025 Martyrs’ Day Statement and to discuss the future shape of global Anglican fellowship.


The statement was what many expected, arguing that the existing structures of the Anglican Communion centred on Canterbury have failed to maintain doctrinal accountability, particularly in relation to biblical teaching on sexuality and the authority of Scripture. What was new, however, was the affirmation of what they call the “Global Anglican Communion,” a fellowship defined not by institutional structures but by a shared confessional commitment expressed in the Jerusalem Declaration.


According to the communiqué, the crisis within the Anglican Communion developed over many years as some provinces moved away from historic Anglican teaching. The document states that the traditional Instruments of Communion (the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and the Primates’ Meeting) have not exercised discipline in response to these developments. Instead, the statement argues, those structures have increasingly sought to maintain institutional unity through the language of “walking together” despite deep theological disagreement. 


The communiqué is particularly critical of recent developments within the Church of England. It points to the provision of liturgical resources for the blessing of same-sex couples and the wider Living in Love and Faith process as evidence that the doctrinal direction of the Church of England contributed to the erosion of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s moral authority within the wider Communion. While acknowledging that Lambeth Conference Resolution I.10 (1998) affirmed the traditional Anglican teaching that homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture, the statement notes that the issue was treated at the 2022 Lambeth Conference as a matter on which provinces could legitimately disagree.


For the bishops gathered in Abuja, this represents a fundamental shift in how the Anglican Communion understands authority and doctrine. In response, the communiqué argues that Anglican unity must ultimately be grounded in a shared confession of faith rather than in institutional affiliation. The document claims that there are now effectively two competing visions of communion: one defined by confessional agreement around Scripture and historic Anglican formularies and another defined by institutional structures seeking to hold together provinces with divergent theological commitments.


The leaders gathered in Abuja insist that the Global Anglican Communion represents a return to the historic Anglican understanding of fellowship among autonomous provinces united by shared doctrine. Central to this development is the creation of the Global Anglican Council, which replaces the previous GAFCON Primates’ Council, as the primary leadership body for the movement. The council will include primates, advisors, and guarantors and will be responsible for recognising provinces and dioceses that participate in the Global Anglican Communion as well as authenticating new Anglican jurisdictions where necessary.


Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda was confirmed as Chairman of the new council, with Archbishop Miguel Uchôa serving as Vice-Chairman and Bishop Paul Donison as General Secretary.


The communiqué also calls for what it describes as “principled disengagement” from the traditional Canterbury-based structures of the Anglican Communion. Leaders participating in the Global Anglican Communion are expected not to attend future meetings of the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council, or Primates’ Meetings convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury.


For Anglicans in England, the implications of these developments are likely to attract particular attention. The statement acknowledges the presence of faithful Anglicans who continue to remain within the Church of England while affirming the Jerusalem Declaration. It also points to the GAFCON-authenticated bodies such as the Anglican Network in Europe, which provides ecclesial oversight for congregations outside the Church of England’s structures.


However, the communiqué leaves several practical questions unanswered.


For many Anglicans in England, the most immediate question may be what these developments mean in practical terms for clergy and congregations seeking to remain faithful to historic Anglican teaching while navigating the evolving structures of the Church of England. The communiqué reaffirms GAFCON’s commitment to supporting orthodox Anglicans wherever they are found but the implications of some of those statements remain somewhat amorphous. As the Global Anglican Council begins its work, attention will likely turn to how that support is expressed institutionally and how the emerging structures of the Global Anglican Communion relate to the historic institutions centered on Canterbury. What is clear is that the conversations taking place in Abuja represent another significant moment in the ongoing development of global Anglicanism’s future.

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1 Comment


Anonymous
Mar 09

The best way to bring Canterbury back to orthodoxy is to disestablish the Church of England and to stop sending British tax dollars to fund the Church of England. Then the Church of England will no longer be forced to adhere to the cultural policies of the British government and can return to its historic orthodox Anglicanism, which is a counter-cultural belief system in 21st century Britain.

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