Abuja: Anglicans deny suggestions of a split within the Communion, emphasizing their commitment to tradition and Biblical authority.
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which primarily includes churches from Africa and Asia, has consistently expressed opposition to reforms within the Communion, such as the ordination of women and expanded LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Tensions increased last year when the Church of England appointed Sarah Mullally as the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury, which GAFCON leaders viewed as a departure from tradition. The group plans to select its own leader this week.
At the opening of a three-day meeting in Abuja, spokesman Justin Murff stated that GAFCON aims to reorganize and realign the Communion with Biblical authority, rather than initiate a breakaway. “This is not a schism.
It is a claim to continuity,” he told reporters. Murff noted that most practising Anglicans are now in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and questioned whether decisions about global leadership should be made by a small group in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 2008, GAFCON represents a large portion of active Anglicans, reflecting the Communion’s demographic shift toward the Global South.
The group questions the Church of England’s traditional leadership as ongoing debates over women’s ordination and same-sex rights highlight differences between progressive and traditional branches.
