Leaders of traditional Anglican churches worldwide are wrestling with fundamental questions about their future: Should they remain united despite deep disagreements, or have their theological disputes damaged centuries-old bonds beyond healing?
The future of the Anglican Communion, representing one of Christianity’s most extensive church networks globally, hangs in the balance as key decisions may be reached before week’s end.
Traditional church leaders from multiple Anglican denominations began meeting Tuesday in Nigeria for a four-day conference. Their discussions center on a proposal that could trigger an unprecedented division within one of the world’s most significant Christian organizations.
Meanwhile, officials from the established Anglican Communion revealed Monday their own modified reorganization proposal. This alternative plan would shift leadership authority away from its traditional English headquarters and could allow collaboration despite deep theological divisions.
Whether this restructuring proposal will influence Gafcon members remains unclear. The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is convening in Abuja, Nigeria, bringing together multiple primates — top Anglican national leaders — alongside other bishops, ministers, and laypeople.
This coalition — primarily representing Global South nations and some of Anglicanism’s most populous church regions — forms a traditional alliance functioning independently of the official London-headquartered Anglican Communion, though most Gafcon churches maintain communion membership.
Gafcon leadership has resisted progressive developments including same-sex marriage and ordaining openly LGBTQ+ ministers within European and North American Anglican churches, particularly the U.S. Episcopal Church. These divisions have grown so severe in recent years that several national churches have boycotted Anglican Communion conferences.
Last year, Gafcon’s leader, Rwanda’s Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, released a declaration effectively demanding separation from the current communion structure, stating that “the Anglican Communion will be reordered.”
His vision outlined a restructured “Global Anglican Communion” governed by a new council headed by elected leaders from any nation. Traditionally — though churches operate independently and collaborate voluntarily — Canterbury’s archbishop in England has served as “first among equals,” providing symbolic spiritual guidance.
Although some Anglican leaders within Gafcon supported Mbanda’s blueprint last year, others stayed quiet or reconfirmed their dedication to maintaining traditional Anglican Communion connections. The Abuja conference could see Mbanda’s strategy accepted, altered, or dismissed.
Last year’s declaration was “not the final word,” stated Bishop Paul Donison, Gafcon’s general secretary. The proposal requires thorough consideration in Abuja, he explained in a conference website video.
“There is much to iron out, much to discern, much to structure carefully and faithfully,” he stated. “But we will do that work together.”
Despite widening Anglican divisions, tensions haven’t produced a complete separation. This situation could shift if church leaders approve a definitive Canterbury break, though Gafcon officials claim they’re proposing communion reform rather than creating something entirely new.
The Anglican tradition originated during the Reformation with the Church of England’s establishment, combining Protestant beliefs with Catholic-style ceremonies and sacraments. It expanded globally through British colonial influence and missionary work, followed by successful evangelistic efforts under local leadership, especially throughout Africa.
Anglican Communion Office data shows approximately 85 million members spanning 165 nations, encompassing over 40 independent provinces.
This conference occurs shortly after the Church of England appointed Archbishop Sarah Mullally as Canterbury’s first female archbishop.
While some traditional Anglican leaders internationally criticized her appointment based on gender, they primarily objected to her LGBTQ+ positions. Mullally has supported the Church of England’s current marriage definition as between men and women, but endorsed same-sex couple blessing ceremonies and acknowledged “the harm that we have done” to LGBTQ+ individuals as a church.
Homosexuality remains forbidden across many African nations, sometimes criminalized through colonial-era statutes or recent laws. Uganda passed 2023 legislation mandating death penalties for certain homosexual acts.
The Anglican Communion is pursuing its own decentralization strategy, becoming “less Canterbury-centric,” according to proposal summaries, acknowledging that most Anglicans now reside in the Global South, distant from England.
These proposals — developed over years with some Monday revisions — involve complex technical details. Essentially, Canterbury’s archbishop would share numerous leadership responsibilities with other national leaders. The plan faces Anglican Consultative Council review this summer, with representatives from throughout the communion participating.
Bishop Graham Tomlin, who leads the commission developing these changes, said he’s uncertain whether the proposal will influence Gafcon’s discussions. The objective is maintaining cooperation while “acknowledging the depth of the disagreements among us,” he explained during Monday’s online press conference.
“The history of the church tells us that when we do make radical breaks from one another, it’s very hard to mend those walls, and this is a way of hopefully keeping us together,” he stated.
Over 400 attendees — ministers and lay members plus bishops — are anticipated at the Gafcon meeting in Abuja, Donison reported.
Though Global South churches dominate Gafcon, other participants include the Anglican Church in North America, established by traditionalists who separated from the U.S. Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada.
