❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) announced it would split from the Archbishop of Canterbury, declaring itself the true leadership of the Anglican Church.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: GAFCON, led by Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, and the Church of England.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Thursday, with GAFCON planning a gathering in Abuja, Nigeria, in March 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Today, Gafcon is leading the Global Anglican Communion. As has been the case from the very beginning, we have not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion.” – Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda
🎯IMPACT: The split refocuses the center of Anglicanism in Africa and rejects the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a coalition of conservative Anglican leaders, has formally broken ties with the Archbishop of Canterbury—the de facto leader of the Church of England—and declared itself the true leadership of the Anglican Church. The announcement marks a significant turning point in the global Anglican Communion, driven by deepening divisions over doctrine, leadership, and morality.
In a letter released October 16, Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda, chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, said the Church of England had “strayed too far from core teachings.” Mbanda wrote, “In the absence of such repentance, we have been prayerfully advancing towards a future for faithful Anglicans, where the Bible is restored to the heart of the Communion.” He also rejected the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, and other traditional institutions. “We cannot continue to have communion with those who advocate the revisionist agenda, which has abandoned the inerrant word of God as the final authority,” Mbanda added.
GAFCON said it would no longer participate in meetings organized by Canterbury or provide financial support. The group announced it will host a global gathering in Abuja, Nigeria, from March 3 to 6, 2026. “Today, Gafcon is leading the Global Anglican Communion,” Mbanda declared. “As has been the case from the very beginning, we have not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion.”
The announcement comes shortly after the Church of England appointed Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Mullally has been a vocal supporter of same-sex blessings and has described herself as “pro-choice” on abortion. Her appointment has sparked backlash from traditionalist Anglicans, particularly in Africa, where leaders have called her selection “devastating” and contrary to biblical values.
In July, the Church in Wales also elected the openly lesbian Bishop Cherry Vann as its new Archbishop, the first woman in that role. Vann lives with her civil partner and has advocated for LGBT inclusion in the Church, a stance that has intensified the divide between progressive and conservative Anglican provinces.
Amid these tensions, King Charles III, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England—an administrative position rather than a clerical one—is scheduled to make a historic visit to the Vatican next week, where he will become the first British monarch in 500 years to publicly pray with a pope. He will meet with Pope Leo XIV as part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year and take part in an ecumenical prayer service in Rome.
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