[Abuja, Nigeria] The Rt. Rev. Manasseh Gahima addressed the G26 conference on March 6 at St Matthias House, urging Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) members to prioritize intentional meetings, responsible financial stewardship, and sustainable fellowship amid disengagement from Canterbury-led structures. Speaking to over 400 bishops, clergy and lay leaders in the seventh of twelve talks under the theme “The Road to Reordering”, the bishop of Gahini in the Anglican Church of Rwanda framed his message around three practical pillars: meetings, money, and sustainable community, drawing directly from GAFCON’s Martyrs’ Day Statement of 16 October 2025..
In his opening prayer, Bishop Gahima thanked God for the gathering’s grace and unity. He then outlined the need for focused, regular meetings to sustain the church body, citing Acts 2:44-46 as a model of early believers sharing possessions so “no one lacked anything.” “Sustainable fellowship is a life need,” he said, especially for those pursuing eternal life.
Central to his address was the Martyrs’ Day Statement, which commits GAFCON not to participate in meetings called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, including the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), nor to give or receive monetary contributions from it or its networks. Bishop Gahima emphasized that the church grows through “faithfulness to the gospel, commitment to one another, and willingness to sacrifice,” as exemplified by martyrs. He critiqued Canterbury’s leadership for straying from Scripture, echoing the Primate of Nigeria’s call to “be different for God” as stewards, not revisionists.
Bishop Gahima stressed that meetings are essential for any fellowship’s survival, serving not as mere administration but as spaces for teaching, prayer, encouragement, accountability, and decision-making. They must be Christ-centered, purpose-driven, participatory, and agenda-focused to foster belonging. He praised GAFCON’s ongoing gatherings for strengthening brotherhood and revitalization.
However, he warned that not all meetings merit attendance. “Meetings are not neutral,” he stated, as they confer legitimacy, signal recognition, and imply consent. Participating in illegitimate gatherings compromises faith, especially when structures no longer uphold doctrine or mission. “Participation is a theological statement, not merely a logistical one,” he added, urging GAFCON to meet only with those committed to the same mission.
Turning to money, Bishop Gahima described it as a “test of trust” and a means of fellowship, again referencing Acts 2. Yet it also carries recognition, solidarity, influence, and direction. In line with the Martyrs’ Day Statement, he called for breaking financial ties with Canterbury, the Anglican Consultative Council or their networks, instead directing resources to support struggling GAFCON churches. “Financial inflows are called out to support struggling churches if we are to survive as the dominion,” he said.
Transparency, local giving, and building financial capacity were non-negotiable to avoid temptation and sustain mission independently. “If we are faithful, we need to be transparent,” he affirmed.
Bishop Gahima concluded that true sustainability is spiritual before financial, built on abiding in Christ (John 15). Resources, internal leadership development, disciple-making, and regular planning are vital, but commitment—not convenience—defines fellowship. “Meetings must produce disciples who produce disciples,” he said, invoking Jesus’ promise to be with believers to the end of the age. “Let our meetings build disciples, our money fuel mission, and our fellowship remain faithful, even when it costs.”
The address was followed by thanks from the chair and an introduction of Bishop Glenn Davies, former Archbishop of Sydney, who continued discussions on canonical alignment.
