Reports in the news recently indicate that trouble is once again brewing in the Anglican Communion. This news is precipitated by a statement from the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which was officially formed in 2008.

The group, made up of approximately 18 provinces out of just over 40 of the Anglican Communion, were upset with the decision of one diocese in the United States, which, in 2013, departed from the principles enunciated by the 1998 Resolution 1:10 of the Lambeth Conference, a gathering of Bbishops from across the Anglican Communion.

Now, in 2025, in an eight-point statement, GAFCON denounced the recent appointment of Sarah Mullaly as the first female Archbishop of the Church of England and spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. By acting unilaterally, the group says it no longer recognises the See of Canterbury as Primus inter Pares, that is, the position that symbolises unity within the global Anglican Communion.

Interestingly, this body is naming itself the Global Anglican Communion, which is bound to create confusion in the minds of many Anglicans across the world. Moreover, as I write, the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO), established to advise the Communion on matters of faith, order, and ecumenical affairs, has written a paper – The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals: Renewing the Instruments of the Anglican Communion – that includes two proposals for reforming the Communion made up of 80 million members in 165 countries. These proposals are to be presented for discussion at the upcoming 19th gathering of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) to be held in Ireland in June 2026.

The paper proposes, among other things, to reform the Anglican Communion in keeping with at least one of the issues raised by GAFCON. In other words, recognising the challenges facing the Communion, especially since the formation of this group in 2008, and, with the knowledge that a number of bishops representing this group chose not to respond to the invitation to attend the last Lambeth Conference, held in 2022, steps are being taken to open and extend a conciliar gesture towards the group. Of course, this open gesture is towards reconciliation for the sake of witnessing to the unity for which Jesus prayed (John 17:21).

RCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

Once news emerged that the Archbishop of London, Sarah Mullaly, was recommended to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury, all hell broke loose. Three things coalesce here. First is the long-standing issue of the ordination of practising homosexuals, which dates back to Gene Robinson, a bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States. Second, and more recently, the election and enthronement of a practising homosexual as Archbishop of Wales in the United Kingdom. The third is the ordination of women, which some provinces of GAFCON still do not approve.

In all three instances, GAFCON expressed its disagreement and came out strongly against the appointment of the two archbishops, arguing that they were contrary to orthodox teachings generally and the teachings of scripture in particular. This was a point noted in their statement of October 16 and an affront to Anglicans worldwide who do not share these sentiments. Of course, while the issue of the ordination of women was not featured in the statement, nevertheless ordained women who support or are living in same-gender unions will, no doubt, exacerbate further divisions, and the stance taken by the group against the recent appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury cannot be ignored.

Moreover, our ecumenical partners are also wrestling with these issues, and a number of them have reached out to me with concern, prayers, and support. In any event, and whatever the outcome of the present stalemate, those who still embrace the instruments of Communion (Archbishop of Canterbury, Primates Meeting, Anglican Consultative Council, and the Lambeth Conference) are very concerned about the deep wounds of the Communion and desire healing for a church with such a deep split.

IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS

Throughout the evolution of the Anglican Communion, since the 19th century, it was evident that holding together these independent churches was always going to be a challenge. Moreover, the fact that there is no accountability for the actions of those who choose not to abide by the resolutions of Lambeth Conferences, which are not binding, reinforces the fact that it is not a legislative body. A very good illustration is Resolution 1:10. Some provinces are still not committed to upholding it, which led, for example, to a former Archbishop of the West Indies, Drexel Gomez, recently deceased, to lead the establishment of an Anglican Covenant.

This was precipitated by the Winsor Report, which recommended that it was difficult to ask independent churches to be accountable when there was no system to regulate them in the first place. The way of the covenant failed as most provinces in the north thought it was an attempt to take us back to popish days, and, in any event, there was no authority to make it binding. Interestingly, GAFCON is acting on the very pretext of authority questioned at the time.

RECONCILIATION

Nevertheless, despite the impasse, a conciliar or partnership approach, steeped in dialogue, is the way forward through the current split. Or is it? One good thing is that the paper/proposals mentioned earlier had contributions from bishops now aligned to GAFCON. So ahead of any resolution of the matter at ACC 19, there is the need for prayers, patience, perseverance and hope that despite deep divide and seemingly intractable differences, the present impasse will be resolved over time.

Moreover, faithfulness in this exercise could hold out hope for not just internal dialogue but also discussions with other ecumenical partners and other faiths. In the end, the hope is for the unity of the church for which Jesus prayed and which, though difficult to achieve, is critical to a unified proclamation of the gospel.