In June 2020, the Primates Council of Gafcon asked Gafcon UK to review its operation and administrative procedures with a view to reducing costs for Gafcon as a whole, in light of the following:
I. The separation of the work of Gafcon UK from that of a new ecclesial body to be set up for the United Kingdom and Europe – the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE)– to be headed by Bishop Andy Lines.
II. The function of Gafcon UK in gathering, informing, and encouraging all Anglicans who can sign up to the Jerusalem Declaration remaining its core ministry.
III. Gafcon UK and ANiE to be financially and administratively independent of Global Gafcon.
This request was due to the current downturn in the global economy caused by Covid-19 as well as to make the distinction between Gafcon Global and Gafcon UK (the UK/European branch of Gafcon) clearer and more streamlined.
Over the past 3 months Gafcon UK have undertaken a ministry and financial review in consultation with the Council of Reference and the Bishops’ forum. The outcome is that Gafcon UK is unable to support the role of a full-time Director of Operations and it has resulted in making the post redundant. This post has been filled by Mrs Susie Leafe, whilst on secondment from Gafcon Global, who have generously paid for the full-time post but can no longer afford to do so.
We know that this was a tough decision for Gafcon Global to take and while the increased membership and donations over the last few weeks is encouraging, Gafcon UK do not yet have the means to take on any full time staff, nor is there the justification to do so bearing in mind the separation of the ministry of Gafcon UK from the work of ecclesial structures now being taken forward by the work and resources required to build a new proto-province, the Anglican Network in Europe, headed by Bishop Andy Lines.
All of us in Gafcon UK want to acknowledge the significant contribution Susie has made in bringing Gafcon UK to its present state of development, along with the excellent work in starting Anglican Futures, and we wish her well for the future.
In response to these changes, the Gafcon UK Trustees, supported by the Council of Reference and the Bishops’ Forum, are currently involved in plans for the branch, seeking ways on how we continue to promote the main activity of Gafcon; namely proclaiming Christ through gathering, informing and encouraging all Anglicans who can sign up to the Jerusalem Declaration and relating them to the work of Gafcon around the world.
The Trustees are consulting on how to achieve this simpler and leaner structure to carry out their duties with the limited resources available, recognising the funding constraints faced by churches and our supporters in these difficult times.
In the meantime, future prayer meetings will be led by Gafcon UK members on Mondays at 7.00am and on Wednesdays at 6.30pm on Zoom.
