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Global Anglican Future Conference

April 08, 2023

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) is a series of conferences of conservative Anglican bishops and leaders, the first of which was held in Jerusalem from 22 to 29 June 2008 to address the growing controversy of the divisions in the Anglican Communion, the rise of secularism, as well as concerns with HIV/AIDS and poverty. As a result of the conference, the Jerusalem Declaration was issued and the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans was created. The conference participants also called for the creation of the Anglican Church in North America as an alternative to both the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada, and declared that recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury is not necessary to Anglican identity.[1]

GAFCON occurred one month prior to the Lambeth Conference, the ten-yearly gathering of Anglican Communion bishops. GAFCON stated the movement rose because a "false gospel" was being promoted within the Anglican Communion, which denied the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and "promotes a variety of sexual preferences and immoral behaviour as a universal human right".[2][3] This is commonly considered a result of the consecration in 2003 of openly non-celibate homosexual bishop Gene Robinson by the Episcopal Church and more generally from the perception that some parts of the Anglican Communion might be departing from biblical teaching.[4][5][6][7]

First conference (2008)

Conference

Originally, GAFCON was intended to take place in two parts: a week in Jordan and a week in Jerusalem for the conference. This was also intended to allow participation by bishops from Pakistan and Sudan, who would not be able to visit Israel. To make accommodations and meet issues raised by the local Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, the Jordan part of the programme was subsequently downgraded to a "pre-GAFCON preparatory consultation", with the Jerusalem segment upgraded from a pilgrimage to a period of substantive deliberation.

After one day, on June 18, Jordanian authorities closed GAFCON, forcing about 140 people to relocate to Jerusalem. Archbishop Akinola's diplomatic passport was denied entry into Jordan.[8]

The conference took place from 22 to 29 June 2008 at the modern Renaissance Hotel near the outskirts of Jerusalem.[9]

At the beginning of the conference a booklet was released by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria entitled The Way, the Truth and the Life: Theological Resources for a Pilgrimage to a Global Anglican Future.[10] Delegates also visited sacred sites in and around Jerusalem.

Participants

The leading participants of GAFCON included seven Anglican primates, archbishops Peter Akinola of Nigeria, Justice Akrofi of West Africa, Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya, Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, Henry Luke Orombi of Uganda, Valentino Mokiwa of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, and Presiding Bishop Greg Venables of the Southern Cone; Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney, Australia, Bill Atwood of Kenya, bishops Wallace Benn and Michael Nazir-Ali of England, Don Harvey of Canada, bishops Robert Duncan and Martyn Minns of the United States; Canon Vinay Samuel of India, Hugh Pratt and Canon Chris Sugden of England. GAFCON was attended by 1148 lay and clergy delegates, including 291 Anglican Bishops, from 29 countries. The identities of those attending have not been published and may have included bishops and clergy outside the Anglican Communion, including some from the Continuing Anglican movement. Hugh Pratt was also treasurer, responsible for security, accommodation and the implementation of the Conference.[11]

The leaders present claimed to represent 35 million "active" Anglicans in the worldwide communion.[12][13] The leadership team listed by GAFCON on its website consisted of 16 men, of whom 9 were from England, North America and Australia, and one other was UK based.[14]

Topics and outcome

Daily sessions were held from 22 to 29 June 2008. Sessions were held on the topics of secularism, the Anglican Communion, HIV/AIDS and poverty.[15]

A GAFCON statement was released on the final day of the conference. It was produced based on input from all 1148 delegates.[2]

The statement claimed that the GAFCON movement arose because a "false gospel" was being promoted within the Anglican Communion, which denied the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and "promotes a variety of sexual preferences and immoral behaviour as a universal human right".[2][4]

The GAFCON statement announced that GAFCON would be a continuing "movement in the Spirit" rather than a once-off event. Although GAFCON did not decide to create a formal schism in the Anglican Communion, it expressed plans to set up new ecclesiastical structures, particularly within the liberal provinces of North America, to cater for conservative Anglicans. Of particular note, the GAFCON statement claims that recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury is not necessary to Anglican identity.[2] It calls for the formation of a new council of unelected GAFCON primates.[4]

The GAFCON statement was criticized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who said that "A 'Primates' Council' which consists only of a self-selected group from among the Primates of the Communion will not pass the test of legitimacy for all in the Communion. And any claim to be free to operate across provincial boundaries is fraught with difficulties, both theological and practical."[16]

Jerusalem Declaration

The GAFCON statement contained the "Jerusalem Declaration", a doctrinal confession which was intended to form the basis of a new "Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans" (FCA, now also branded as GAFCON).[2] The declaration upheld the Holy Scriptures as containing "all things necessary for salvation", the first four Ecumenical councils and three Creeds as expressing the church's rule of faith, and the Thirty-Nine Articles as authoritative for Anglicans today. In addition, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer was called "a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer" and the Anglican Ordinal was recognised as an authoritative standard.

Reactions

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said on 19 December 2007 that plans to hold a pre-Lambeth meeting for conservatives did not signal disloyalty as such a meeting "would not have any official status as far as the Communion is concerned".[17]

Negative reactions

Bishop of Jerusalem

The Presiding Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East, Mouneer Anis, who is conservative on matters of human sexuality, publicly announced that he would not attend GAFCON, observing that "the Global South must not be driven by an exclusively Northern agenda or Northern personalities".[18]

The Bishop of Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani, in whose territory it was to be held, initially issued a press release saying:

I am deeply troubled that this meeting, of which we had no prior knowledge, will import inter-Anglican conflict into our diocese, which seeks to be a place of welcome for all Anglicans. It could also have serious consequences for our ongoing ministry of reconciliation in this divided land. Indeed, it could further inflame tensions here. We who minister here know only too well what happens when two sides cease talking to each other. We do not want to see any further dividing walls![19]

He indicated that the regional primate "is also concerned about this event. His advice to the organisers that this was not the right time or place for such a meeting was ignored."[19]

On 12 and 15 January 2008, the Bishop of Jerusalem had meetings with the GAFCON organisers, including Archbishops Jensen and Akinola, in which he explained his reasons for objecting to the conference, and the damage it would do to his local ministry of welcome and reconciliation in the Holy Land. He insisted that the Lambeth Conference was the correct venue for internal discussions. However, he proposed as an alternative, "for the sake of making progress in this discussion" that the GAFCON conference should take place in Cyprus, to be followed by a "pure pilgrimage" to the Holy Land. The minutes of the meetings were published.[20]

Conservatives

The announcement of the conference received criticism from some conservatives due to it potentially giving liberals a more powerful voice at the Lambeth Conference. Former archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, said: "If the Jerusalem conference is an alternative to the Lambeth Conference, which I perceive it is, then I think it is regrettable. The irony is that all they are going to do is weaken the Lambeth Conference. They are going to give the liberals a more powerful voice because they are absent and they are going to act as if they are schismatics."[21] Carey also called for the American House of Bishops to commit itself to the Windsor Covenant, which imposes a moratorium on the consecration of homosexual bishops and blessing of same-sex unions.[21]

Liberals

The Bishop of Newcastle in Australia, Brian Farran, was critical of GAFCON along with the overwhelming majority of the Australian bishops.[22]

Positive reactions

The conference was particularly welcomed by bishops in conflict with the official policies of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. Former Episcopal priest, now suffragan bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, David Anderson said: "The gathering will be in the form of a pilgrimage back to the roots of the Church's faith: thus this journey begins with a pilgrimage."[23]

Second conference (2013)

The second Global Anglican Future Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 21 October to 26 October 2013, at All Saints' Cathedral.

It was attended by 1358 delegates, 1003 clergy and 545 laity, from 38 countries. The number of bishops and archbishops in attendance was 331.[24] The primates who attended were Eliud Wabukala, of Kenya, Nicholas Okoh, of Nigeria, Stanley Ntagali, of Uganda, Onesphore Rwaje, of Rwanda, Bernard Ntahoturi, of Burundi, Henri Isingoma, of Congo, Daniel Deng Bul, of Sudan, Solomon Tilewa Johnson, of West Africa, Tito Zavala, of the Southern Cone, and Robert Duncan, of North America.[25][26]

The focus was on the shared Anglican future, discussing the missionary theme of "Making Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ".[27]

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, made a flying visit to Nairobi on 20 October 2013, immediately ahead of the formal start (on 21 October 2013) of the full GAFCON event. During that flying visit, he met the GAFCON primates who were holding a two-day pre-conference meeting. He also expressed his condolences for the Westgate shopping mall attack and preached two sermons at All Saints' Cathedral.[28]

Third conference (2018)

The third Global Anglican Future Conference was held in Jerusalem, Israel, from 17 to 22 June 2018.[29]

It was attended, according to their official numbers, by 1966 delegates, 1292 men and 670 women, from 53 countries, making it the largest international reunion of Anglicans since the Toronto Congress in 1963. These numbers include 993 clergy, among whom were 333 bishops, and 973 lay people.

The number of active and retired archbishops attending was 38, including seven current primates of the Anglican Communion, Jackson Ole Sapit, of Kenya, Stanley Ntagali, of Uganda, Laurent Mbanda, of Rwanda, James Wong, of the Indian Ocean, Nicholas Okoh, of Nigeria, Stephen Than Myint Oo, of Myanmar, and Gregory Venables, of South America. Two GAFCON recognized Primates also attended: Foley Beach of North America, and Miguel Uchôa of Brazil. Primates Justin Badi Arama, of South Sudan, and Maimbo Mndolwa, of Tanzania, were not able to attend, despite being registered. Six retired primates also attended, Peter Akinola, of Nigeria, Eliud Wabukala, of Kenya, Onesphore Rwaje, of Rwanda, Jacob Chimeledya, of Tanzania, Tito Zavala, of Anglican Church of South America, and Robert Duncan, of North America.

The largest single national delegation was from the Church of Nigeria, with 472 members. The number of Anglo-Catholics was smaller than in the two previous conferences.[30]

At the conclusion of the conference, it was announced that in early 2019, Archbishop Foley Beach, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, will succeed Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, as Chair of GAFCON's Primates Council; and Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi, former archbishop of Jos in Nigeria, will succeed Archbishop Peter Jensen, former archbishop of Sydney, as GAFCON's General Secretary.[30]

G19 (2019)

An additional conference, named G19, took place from 25 February to 1 March 2019, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for those who were not able to attend the previous year GAFCON III. G19 was hosted by bishops Michael Nazir-Ali, of the Church of England, and Azad Marshall, of the Church of Pakistan, and was attended by 138 delegates, including 31 bishops and archbishops, and four primates, Nicholas Okoh, of Nigeria, Foley Beach, of North America, both who also attended GAFCON III, Justin Badi Arama, of South Sudan, and Samuel Mankhin, of Bangladesh.[31][32]

Ordination of women

The ordination of women to holy orders, the offices of deacon, priest (presbyter), and bishop, remains controversial in GAFCON. In 2006, the Church of Nigeria planned to ordain women to the diaconate, but not as priests or bishops.[33] In 2010, the church moved forward with those plans and began to ordain women as deacons, with limitations "for specific purposes like hospital work and school services".[34] The Church of Nigeria continues to prohibit the ordination of women as priests or bishops.[35] The Church of Uganda has ordained women as deacons since 1973 and as priests since 1983.[36] The Anglican Church in North America allows each diocese to decide whether to ordain women as deacons or priests but does not permit the ordination of women as bishops.[37] In 2018, the primatial bishops of the GAFCON member churches agreed to a moratorium on further ordinations of women to the episcopate.[38][39] In 2016, prior to the moratorium, the Episcopal Church of Sudan consecrated the first woman, Elizabeth Awut Ngor, as bishop and the first among the GAFCON members.[40] In 2021, the Anglican Church of Kenya consecrated two women as bishops, Emily Onyango was consecrated as an assisting bishop and Rose Okeno was consecrated as the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Butere.[41][42][43] In 2022, Archbishop Kaziimba of the Church of Uganda confirmed that a woman may be ordained a bishop in the Church of Uganda.[44][45] In 2023, the Diocese of the Southern Cross welcomed its first female priest.[46]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Complete Jerusalem Statement". Global Anglican Future | GAFCON. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e "GAFCON final statement". 2008-06-29.
  3. ^ "Jensen blames 'homosexual crisis' for Anglican rift". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  4. ^ a b c "Jensen blames 'homosexual crisis' for Anglican rift". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  5. ^ "Jerusalem conference may widen Anglican rift". Christian Science Monitor. 2008-06-20.
  6. ^ "Lambeth Voices: a panel of Anglican bishops share their views with Faith Online". The Times. London. 2008-07-30.
  7. ^ Is the crisis in the Anglican Communion about homosexuality? from GAFCON Q&A
  8. ^ Evangelicals Now, August 2008, quoted online at http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/003286.html
  9. ^ BBC, Anglicans seeking tradition faced with Gay Pride
  10. ^ http://www.gafcon.org/images/way-truth-life.pdf 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Pilgrimage Guide ' The Holy Land' GAFCON June 2008
  12. ^ . GAFCON. 2007-12-24. Archived from the original on 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  13. ^ Jerusalem Declaration Signals New Reality for Anglican Communion, GAFCON Official Website, 29 June 2009
  14. ^ "Home | GAFCON".
  15. ^ . Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  16. ^ "Archbishop of Canterbury responds to GAFCON statement". Anglican Communion News Service. 2008-06-30.
  17. ^ George Conger (2008-01-03). "Plans for pre-Lambeth meeting for conservatives do not signal disloyalty - Archbishop of Canterbury". Anglican Mainstream. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20.
  18. ^ "Middle East Presiding Bishop will not attend GAFCON". 21 May 2008.
  19. ^ a b "Jerusalem speaks on GAFCON". Thinking Anglicans (blog). 2008-01-02.
  20. ^ "GAFCON and Jerusalem Minutes of Meetings".
  21. ^ a b RICHARD VARA (2008-01-11). "Carey says Anglican Communion is in crisis". Houston Chronicle.
  22. ^ . Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. 2008-01-11. Archived from the original on 2008-02-05. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  23. ^ "Update on GAFCON". Thinking Anglicans (blog). January 2008.
  24. ^ Nairobi Communiqué and Commitment, GAFCON Official Website, 26 October 2013
  25. ^ GAFCON votes to expand, GAFCON Official Website, 26 October 2013
  26. ^ Nairobi Cathedral welcomes Primates for GAFCON 2013, GAFCON Official Website, 21 October 2013
  27. ^ Anglican Mainstream GAFCON 2 formally announced for October 21-26 Nairobi, Kenya October 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine retrieved 18 October 2013
  28. ^ Archbishop of Canterbury makes Kenya detour on way to Iceland. BBC News Centre, 20 October 2013, retrieved 30 October 2013.
  29. ^ "Letter to the Churches - Gafcon Assembly 2018 | GAFCON". www.gafcon.org. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  30. ^ a b GAFCON III largest pan-Anglican gathering since Toronto Congress of 1963, Anglican Ink, 20 June 2018
  31. ^ . Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  32. ^ Standing with the Suffering, GAFCON Official Website, 1 April 2019
  33. ^ "Women Clergy a Future Possibility for Nigeria, says Bishop". Christian Today. 26 July 2006. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  34. ^ "Nigeria: Cleric Okays Women Ordination | WWRN - World-wide Religious News". wwrn.org. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  35. ^ Rubenstein, Mary-Jane (2004-06-01). "An Anglican Crisis of Comparison: Intersections of Race, Gender, and Religious Authority, with Particular Reference to the Church of Nigeria". Journal of the American Academy of Religion. 72 (2): 341–365. doi:10.1093/jaarel/lfh033. ISSN 0002-7189. PMID 20681098.
  36. ^ "50 Years of Shared Responsibility with God-called Women in the Church of the Province of Uganda" (PDF). Uganda Christian University. May 3, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ Andrew Gross (2017-09-08). "College of Bishops Statement on the Ordination of Women". The Anglican Church in North America. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  38. ^ Conger, George (2018-04-22). "GAFCON adopts moratorium on women bishops". Anglican Ink © 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  39. ^ "Task Force on Women in the Episcopate, Interim Report (2019) | GAFCON". www.gafcon.org. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  40. ^ lwilson (2021-08-06). "Anglican Church in Kenya appoints first two women bishops". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  41. ^ Conger, George (2021-01-27). "Appointment of women bishop in Kenya challenged". Anglican Ink © 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  42. ^ "Rose Okeno consecrated as first female bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya". Citizentv.co.ke. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  43. ^ Shilitsa, John. "History as first woman bishop, Rose Okeno, takes the reins". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  44. ^ "Uganda Is Ready for A Female Bishop- Archbishop Kaziimba". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  45. ^ Independent, The (2022-04-18). "Uganda is ready for a female Bishop: Archbishop Kaziimba". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  46. ^ Sandeman, John (2023-01-30). "Gafcon's Southern Cross diocese gets a woman minister, and church number four". THE OTHER CHEEK. Retrieved 2023-02-15.

External links

  • GAFCON website
  • *
  • http://gafcon.org/resources/jerusalem-statement/
  • All Video from speakers and presentations at Conference—GAFCON Jerusalem
  • Constructing the boundaries of Anglican orthodoxy: An analysis of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON)[dead link] An article based on interviews and fieldwork conducted at GAFCON by the authors

April 08, 2023
global, anglican, future, conference, gafcon, series, conferences, conservative, anglican, bishops, leaders, first, which, held, jerusalem, from, june, 2008, address, growing, controversy, divisions, anglican, communion, rise, secularism, well, concerns, with,. The Global Anglican Future Conference GAFCON is a series of conferences of conservative Anglican bishops and leaders the first of which was held in Jerusalem from 22 to 29 June 2008 to address the growing controversy of the divisions in the Anglican Communion the rise of secularism as well as concerns with HIV AIDS and poverty As a result of the conference the Jerusalem Declaration was issued and the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans was created The conference participants also called for the creation of the Anglican Church in North America as an alternative to both the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada and declared that recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury is not necessary to Anglican identity 1 GAFCON occurred one month prior to the Lambeth Conference the ten yearly gathering of Anglican Communion bishops GAFCON stated the movement rose because a false gospel was being promoted within the Anglican Communion which denied the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and promotes a variety of sexual preferences and immoral behaviour as a universal human right 2 3 This is commonly considered a result of the consecration in 2003 of openly non celibate homosexual bishop Gene Robinson by the Episcopal Church and more generally from the perception that some parts of the Anglican Communion might be departing from biblical teaching 4 5 6 7 Contents 1 First conference 2008 1 1 Conference 1 2 Participants 1 3 Topics and outcome 1 3 1 Jerusalem Declaration 1 4 Reactions 1 4 1 Archbishop of Canterbury 1 4 2 Negative reactions 1 4 2 1 Bishop of Jerusalem 1 4 2 2 Conservatives 1 4 2 3 Liberals 1 4 3 Positive reactions 2 Second conference 2013 3 Third conference 2018 3 1 G19 2019 4 Ordination of women 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksFirst conference 2008 EditConference Edit Originally GAFCON was intended to take place in two parts a week in Jordan and a week in Jerusalem for the conference This was also intended to allow participation by bishops from Pakistan and Sudan who would not be able to visit Israel To make accommodations and meet issues raised by the local Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem the Jordan part of the programme was subsequently downgraded to a pre GAFCON preparatory consultation with the Jerusalem segment upgraded from a pilgrimage to a period of substantive deliberation After one day on June 18 Jordanian authorities closed GAFCON forcing about 140 people to relocate to Jerusalem Archbishop Akinola s diplomatic passport was denied entry into Jordan 8 The conference took place from 22 to 29 June 2008 at the modern Renaissance Hotel near the outskirts of Jerusalem 9 At the beginning of the conference a booklet was released by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria entitled The Way the Truth and the Life Theological Resources for a Pilgrimage to a Global Anglican Future 10 Delegates also visited sacred sites in and around Jerusalem Participants Edit The leading participants of GAFCON included seven Anglican primates archbishops Peter Akinola of Nigeria Justice Akrofi of West Africa Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda Henry Luke Orombi of Uganda Valentino Mokiwa of the Anglican Church of Tanzania and Presiding Bishop Greg Venables of the Southern Cone Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney Australia Bill Atwood of Kenya bishops Wallace Benn and Michael Nazir Ali of England Don Harvey of Canada bishops Robert Duncan and Martyn Minns of the United States Canon Vinay Samuel of India Hugh Pratt and Canon Chris Sugden of England GAFCON was attended by 1148 lay and clergy delegates including 291 Anglican Bishops from 29 countries The identities of those attending have not been published and may have included bishops and clergy outside the Anglican Communion including some from the Continuing Anglican movement Hugh Pratt was also treasurer responsible for security accommodation and the implementation of the Conference 11 The leaders present claimed to represent 35 million active Anglicans in the worldwide communion 12 13 The leadership team listed by GAFCON on its website consisted of 16 men of whom 9 were from England North America and Australia and one other was UK based 14 Topics and outcome Edit Daily sessions were held from 22 to 29 June 2008 Sessions were held on the topics of secularism the Anglican Communion HIV AIDS and poverty 15 A GAFCON statement was released on the final day of the conference It was produced based on input from all 1148 delegates 2 The statement claimed that the GAFCON movement arose because a false gospel was being promoted within the Anglican Communion which denied the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and promotes a variety of sexual preferences and immoral behaviour as a universal human right 2 4 The GAFCON statement announced that GAFCON would be a continuing movement in the Spirit rather than a once off event Although GAFCON did not decide to create a formal schism in the Anglican Communion it expressed plans to set up new ecclesiastical structures particularly within the liberal provinces of North America to cater for conservative Anglicans Of particular note the GAFCON statement claims that recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury is not necessary to Anglican identity 2 It calls for the formation of a new council of unelected GAFCON primates 4 The GAFCON statement was criticized by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams who said that A Primates Council which consists only of a self selected group from among the Primates of the Communion will not pass the test of legitimacy for all in the Communion And any claim to be free to operate across provincial boundaries is fraught with difficulties both theological and practical 16 Jerusalem Declaration Edit The GAFCON statement contained the Jerusalem Declaration a doctrinal confession which was intended to form the basis of a new Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans FCA now also branded as GAFCON 2 The declaration upheld the Holy Scriptures as containing all things necessary for salvation the first four Ecumenical councils and three Creeds as expressing the church s rule of faith and the Thirty Nine Articles as authoritative for Anglicans today In addition the 1662 Book of Common Prayer was called a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer and the Anglican Ordinal was recognised as an authoritative standard Reactions Edit Archbishop of Canterbury Edit The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said on 19 December 2007 that plans to hold a pre Lambeth meeting for conservatives did not signal disloyalty as such a meeting would not have any official status as far as the Communion is concerned 17 Negative reactions Edit Bishop of Jerusalem Edit The Presiding Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East Mouneer Anis who is conservative on matters of human sexuality publicly announced that he would not attend GAFCON observing that the Global South must not be driven by an exclusively Northern agenda or Northern personalities 18 The Bishop of Jerusalem Suheil Dawani in whose territory it was to be held initially issued a press release saying I am deeply troubled that this meeting of which we had no prior knowledge will import inter Anglican conflict into our diocese which seeks to be a place of welcome for all Anglicans It could also have serious consequences for our ongoing ministry of reconciliation in this divided land Indeed it could further inflame tensions here We who minister here know only too well what happens when two sides cease talking to each other We do not want to see any further dividing walls 19 He indicated that the regional primate is also concerned about this event His advice to the organisers that this was not the right time or place for such a meeting was ignored 19 On 12 and 15 January 2008 the Bishop of Jerusalem had meetings with the GAFCON organisers including Archbishops Jensen and Akinola in which he explained his reasons for objecting to the conference and the damage it would do to his local ministry of welcome and reconciliation in the Holy Land He insisted that the Lambeth Conference was the correct venue for internal discussions However he proposed as an alternative for the sake of making progress in this discussion that the GAFCON conference should take place in Cyprus to be followed by a pure pilgrimage to the Holy Land The minutes of the meetings were published 20 Conservatives Edit The announcement of the conference received criticism from some conservatives due to it potentially giving liberals a more powerful voice at the Lambeth Conference Former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey said If the Jerusalem conference is an alternative to the Lambeth Conference which I perceive it is then I think it is regrettable The irony is that all they are going to do is weaken the Lambeth Conference They are going to give the liberals a more powerful voice because they are absent and they are going to act as if they are schismatics 21 Carey also called for the American House of Bishops to commit itself to the Windsor Covenant which imposes a moratorium on the consecration of homosexual bishops and blessing of same sex unions 21 Liberals Edit The Bishop of Newcastle in Australia Brian Farran was critical of GAFCON along with the overwhelming majority of the Australian bishops 22 Positive reactions Edit The conference was particularly welcomed by bishops in conflict with the official policies of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America Former Episcopal priest now suffragan bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America David Anderson said The gathering will be in the form of a pilgrimage back to the roots of the Church s faith thus this journey begins with a pilgrimage 23 Second conference 2013 EditThe second Global Anglican Future Conference was held in Nairobi Kenya from 21 October to 26 October 2013 at All Saints Cathedral It was attended by 1358 delegates 1003 clergy and 545 laity from 38 countries The number of bishops and archbishops in attendance was 331 24 The primates who attended were Eliud Wabukala of Kenya Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria Stanley Ntagali of Uganda Onesphore Rwaje of Rwanda Bernard Ntahoturi of Burundi Henri Isingoma of Congo Daniel Deng Bul of Sudan Solomon Tilewa Johnson of West Africa Tito Zavala of the Southern Cone and Robert Duncan of North America 25 26 The focus was on the shared Anglican future discussing the missionary theme of Making Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ 27 Justin Welby the Archbishop of Canterbury made a flying visit to Nairobi on 20 October 2013 immediately ahead of the formal start on 21 October 2013 of the full GAFCON event During that flying visit he met the GAFCON primates who were holding a two day pre conference meeting He also expressed his condolences for the Westgate shopping mall attack and preached two sermons at All Saints Cathedral 28 Third conference 2018 EditThe third Global Anglican Future Conference was held in Jerusalem Israel from 17 to 22 June 2018 29 It was attended according to their official numbers by 1966 delegates 1292 men and 670 women from 53 countries making it the largest international reunion of Anglicans since the Toronto Congress in 1963 These numbers include 993 clergy among whom were 333 bishops and 973 lay people The number of active and retired archbishops attending was 38 including seven current primates of the Anglican Communion Jackson Ole Sapit of Kenya Stanley Ntagali of Uganda Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda James Wong of the Indian Ocean Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria Stephen Than Myint Oo of Myanmar and Gregory Venables of South America Two GAFCON recognized Primates also attended Foley Beach of North America and Miguel Uchoa of Brazil Primates Justin Badi Arama of South Sudan and Maimbo Mndolwa of Tanzania were not able to attend despite being registered Six retired primates also attended Peter Akinola of Nigeria Eliud Wabukala of Kenya Onesphore Rwaje of Rwanda Jacob Chimeledya of Tanzania Tito Zavala of Anglican Church of South America and Robert Duncan of North America The largest single national delegation was from the Church of Nigeria with 472 members The number of Anglo Catholics was smaller than in the two previous conferences 30 At the conclusion of the conference it was announced that in early 2019 Archbishop Foley Beach Primate of the Anglican Church in North America will succeed Archbishop Nicholas Okoh Primate of the Church of Nigeria as Chair of GAFCON s Primates Council and Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi former archbishop of Jos in Nigeria will succeed Archbishop Peter Jensen former archbishop of Sydney as GAFCON s General Secretary 30 G19 2019 Edit An additional conference named G19 took place from 25 February to 1 March 2019 in Dubai United Arab Emirates for those who were not able to attend the previous year GAFCON III G19 was hosted by bishops Michael Nazir Ali of the Church of England and Azad Marshall of the Church of Pakistan and was attended by 138 delegates including 31 bishops and archbishops and four primates Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria Foley Beach of North America both who also attended GAFCON III Justin Badi Arama of South Sudan and Samuel Mankhin of Bangladesh 31 32 Ordination of women EditThe ordination of women to holy orders the offices of deacon priest presbyter and bishop remains controversial in GAFCON In 2006 the Church of Nigeria planned to ordain women to the diaconate but not as priests or bishops 33 In 2010 the church moved forward with those plans and began to ordain women as deacons with limitations for specific purposes like hospital work and school services 34 The Church of Nigeria continues to prohibit the ordination of women as priests or bishops 35 The Church of Uganda has ordained women as deacons since 1973 and as priests since 1983 36 The Anglican Church in North America allows each diocese to decide whether to ordain women as deacons or priests but does not permit the ordination of women as bishops 37 In 2018 the primatial bishops of the GAFCON member churches agreed to a moratorium on further ordinations of women to the episcopate 38 39 In 2016 prior to the moratorium the Episcopal Church of Sudan consecrated the first woman Elizabeth Awut Ngor as bishop and the first among the GAFCON members 40 In 2021 the Anglican Church of Kenya consecrated two women as bishops Emily Onyango was consecrated as an assisting bishop and Rose Okeno was consecrated as the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Butere 41 42 43 In 2022 Archbishop Kaziimba of the Church of Uganda confirmed that a woman may be ordained a bishop in the Church of Uganda 44 45 In 2023 the Diocese of the Southern Cross welcomed its first female priest 46 See also EditAnglican Communion Network Anglican Diocese of Sydney Convocation of Anglicans in North America Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Global South Anglican Homosexuality and AnglicanismReferences Edit The Complete Jerusalem Statement Global Anglican Future GAFCON Retrieved 2016 05 07 a b c d e GAFCON final statement 2008 06 29 Jensen blames homosexual crisis for Anglican rift Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2008 06 30 Retrieved 2008 07 22 a b c Jensen blames homosexual crisis for Anglican rift Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2008 06 30 Retrieved 2008 07 22 Jerusalem conference may widen Anglican rift Christian Science Monitor 2008 06 20 Lambeth Voices a panel of Anglican bishops share their views with Faith Online The Times London 2008 07 30 Is the crisis in the Anglican Communion about homosexuality from GAFCON Q amp A Evangelicals Now August 2008 quoted online at http www thinkinganglicans org uk archives 003286 html BBC Anglicans seeking tradition faced with Gay Pride http www gafcon org images way truth life pdf Archived 2011 07 22 at the Wayback Machine Pilgrimage Guide The Holy Land GAFCON June 2008 GLOBAL ANGLICAN FUTURE CONFERENCE IN HOLY LAND ANNOUNCED BY ORTHODOX PRIMATES GAFCON 2007 12 24 Archived from the original on 2007 12 31 Retrieved 2008 01 14 Jerusalem Declaration Signals New Reality for Anglican Communion GAFCON Official Website 29 June 2009 Home GAFCON Jerusalem 2008 GAFCON Official Website Archived from the original on 2013 10 05 Retrieved 2013 09 01 Archbishop of Canterbury responds to GAFCON statement Anglican Communion News Service 2008 06 30 George Conger 2008 01 03 Plans for pre Lambeth meeting for conservatives do not signal disloyalty Archbishop of Canterbury Anglican Mainstream Archived from the original on 2012 07 20 Middle East Presiding Bishop will not attend GAFCON 21 May 2008 a b Jerusalem speaks on GAFCON Thinking Anglicans blog 2008 01 02 GAFCON and Jerusalem Minutes of Meetings a b RICHARD VARA 2008 01 11 Carey says Anglican Communion is in crisis Houston Chronicle Newcastle Bishop Dissociates himself from GAFCON Anglican Diocese of Newcastle 2008 01 11 Archived from the original on 2008 02 05 Retrieved 2008 01 14 Update on GAFCON Thinking Anglicans blog January 2008 Nairobi Communique and Commitment GAFCON Official Website 26 October 2013 GAFCON votes to expand GAFCON Official Website 26 October 2013 Nairobi Cathedral welcomes Primates for GAFCON 2013 GAFCON Official Website 21 October 2013 Anglican Mainstream GAFCON 2 formally announced for October 21 26 Nairobi Kenya Archived October 19 2013 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 18 October 2013 Archbishop of Canterbury makes Kenya detour on way to Iceland BBC News Centre 20 October 2013 retrieved 30 October 2013 Letter to the Churches Gafcon Assembly 2018 GAFCON www gafcon org Retrieved 2018 06 22 a b GAFCON III largest pan Anglican gathering since Toronto Congress of 1963 Anglican Ink 20 June 2018 Fuel for Prayer GAFCON Official Website Archived from the original on 2019 04 08 Retrieved 2018 12 14 Standing with the Suffering GAFCON Official Website 1 April 2019 Women Clergy a Future Possibility for Nigeria says Bishop Christian Today 26 July 2006 Retrieved 2021 09 14 Nigeria Cleric Okays Women Ordination WWRN World wide Religious News wwrn org Retrieved 2021 09 14 Rubenstein Mary Jane 2004 06 01 An Anglican Crisis of Comparison Intersections of Race Gender and Religious Authority with Particular Reference to the Church of Nigeria Journal of the American Academy of Religion 72 2 341 365 doi 10 1093 jaarel lfh033 ISSN 0002 7189 PMID 20681098 50 Years of Shared Responsibility with God called Women in the Church of the Province of Uganda PDF Uganda Christian University May 3 2017 Retrieved September 14 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Andrew Gross 2017 09 08 College of Bishops Statement on the Ordination of Women The Anglican Church in North America Retrieved 2021 09 14 Conger George 2018 04 22 GAFCON adopts moratorium on women bishops Anglican Ink c 2021 Retrieved 2021 09 14 Task Force on Women in the Episcopate Interim Report 2019 GAFCON www gafcon org Retrieved 2021 09 14 lwilson 2021 08 06 Anglican Church in Kenya appoints first two women bishops Episcopal News Service Retrieved 2021 09 14 Conger George 2021 01 27 Appointment of women bishop in Kenya challenged Anglican Ink c 2021 Retrieved 2021 09 14 Rose Okeno consecrated as first female bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya Citizentv co ke 13 September 2021 Retrieved 2021 09 14 Shilitsa John History as first woman bishop Rose Okeno takes the reins The Standard Retrieved 2021 09 14 Uganda Is Ready for A Female Bishop Archbishop Kaziimba Uganda Radionetwork Retrieved 2022 04 20 Independent The 2022 04 18 Uganda is ready for a female Bishop Archbishop Kaziimba The Independent Uganda Retrieved 2022 04 20 Sandeman John 2023 01 30 Gafcon s Southern Cross diocese gets a woman minister and church number four THE OTHER CHEEK Retrieved 2023 02 15 External links EditGAFCON website GAFCON booklet http gafcon org resources jerusalem statement All Video from speakers and presentations at Conference GAFCON Jerusalem Constructing the boundaries of Anglican orthodoxy An analysis of the Global Anglican Future Conference GAFCON dead link An article based on interviews and fieldwork conducted at GAFCON by the authors Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Global Anglican Future Conference amp oldid 1148411175, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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