Abuja, Nigeria — The opening day of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) 2026 began not with procedural formalities but with a thunderous call to decision. As the primates, bishops, and clergy gathered for worship, Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, delivered a message that set the spiritual tone for the days ahead.

Preaching from Joshua 24:15 — “Choose this day whom you will serve” — Archbishop Ndukuba declared that this moment marks a turning point for the Anglican Communion. “We are declaring that the future has arrived,” he proclaimed, as the assembly responded with applause.

Returning to the Word

The Archbishop rooted his sermon in Scripture, calling Anglicans to renew their identity not in institutions or personalities but in “the Word of God — the Holy Scriptures — as the center of our life, our teaching, and our practice.” Citing Article 19 of the Thirty-Nine Articles, he reminded the gathered leaders that the visible Church is defined wherever the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments duly administered.

In contrast, he warned that the historic sees of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, and even Rome had erred — as has, in our day, the Church of England’s leadership. Despite repeated appeals and statements such as last October’s Martyrs’ Day Declaration, the Nigerian archbishop and host of the gathering lamented that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the official instruments of the Communion continue down a path of theological revisionism.

The False Giants of the Age

Drawing from the story of Israel’s spies in Numbers 13, Archbishop Ndukuba compared today’s ecclesial crisis to the faithlessness of those who feared the “giants” of the land. “Even when God promised victory,” he said, “many turned away because they saw only giants — not the power of the living God.”

He described these “giants” as the modern forces of compromise — the “Babylonian spirit” that enthrones immorality, idolatry, and self-indulgence. Yet, he added, “God stood for Caleb and Joshua, because they wholly followed Him. God is still looking for men and women of a different spirit — those who will stand firm for His Word.”

Quoting American poet Josiah Gilbert Holland’s famous line, “God give us men,” Archbishop Ndukuba extended the call to courage: “Men and women of honor who cannot be bought, who will not lie, who will stand before the demagogue and still speak truth.”

The Cost of Faithfulness

Throughout the sermon, Archbishop Ndukuba returned to a single conviction: that obedience to the authority of Scripture and the lordship of Jesus Christ cannot be negotiated. “They request that we walk together in disobedience to God’s Word,” he said of revisionist leaders. “But shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means.”

He challenged claims that revisionist theology offers inclusion or natural expression of identity, reminding the Church of Paul’s promise in 2 Corinthians 5 that “anyone in Christ is a new creation.” The Gospel, he said, transforms both individuals and cultures when people surrender wholly to Jesus.

Empowered by the Spirit

Acknowledging the cost of faithfulness in an age of hostility, Archbishop Ndukuba urged reliance on the Holy Spirit — “our strength in weakness, our courage in persecution.” Quoting Jesus’ words to the persecuted, he assured GAFCON leaders that “the path we have chosen will not be an easy one — but God will never leave His people.”

He called for Christians who will “not compromise the truth of His Word for the applause of the world,” willing instead to suffer and be shaped into the likeness of Christ. Such believers, he said, set their hearts “on the eternal hope and glory given us in Jesus Christ.”

A Global Mandate

The Archbishop then turned from exhortation to commission: “Guard what is committed to your trust,” he warned, echoing 1 Timothy 6:20. “Avoid the profane babblings and contradictions of false knowledge. Choose this day whom you shall serve.”

His address underscored what the American Anglican Council (AAC) has described as “a moment of decision for global Anglicans.” For decades, the AAC has urged leaders to respond with Scripture-shaped conviction when confronted by doctrinal compromise. That call now reverberates not only across North America but around the world through the GAFCON movement — a communion that regards faithfulness to Scripture, rather than Canterbury’s recognition, as the true mark of Anglican identity.

Standing Firm

As Archbishop Ndukuba concluded, the tone in the assembly was clear: the road ahead would not be defined by institutional authority but by biblical allegiance. “Blessed is the man or woman who dares to trust God and His Word and dares to be different for His glory,” he said in closing.

The words of Joshua — “Choose this day whom you will serve” — have echoed through millennia. In Abuja this week, they have once again become the heartbeat of a movement determined to walk in the light of Scripture, the power of the Gospel, and the lordship of Jesus Christ.