African, Asian Anglican Churches Break Away From Church Of England, Form New Global Council

Conservative Anglican churches from Africa and Asia have established a new leadership council aimed at guiding the global Anglican community, in a move that effectively rejects the traditional authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury just weeks before a new occupant assumes the office.

According to Ireporter Online, the development was announced on Thursday by the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which said the council was created to replace what it described as outdated leadership structures within the Anglican Communion. The group maintains that it represents the majority of the world’s estimated 85 million Anglicans spread across 165 countries.

The organisation elected Laurent Mbanda, the Archbishop of Rwanda and a former refugee who later studied in the United States, as chairman of the newly established council. GAFCON explained that the leadership arrangement would not follow the traditional “first among equals” model, noting that Mbanda would exercise authority within a shared leadership framework.

Secretary General of the council, Paul Donison, told delegates during a gathering in Abuja, Nigeria, that many Anglicans around the world believe the current leadership structure no longer adequately represents their interests. He explained that the newly formed council would adopt a conciliar leadership structure, bringing together bishops, priests and lay members who will each possess voting rights in decision-making processes.

The announcement places the group in direct opposition to Sarah Mullally, who was appointed by the Church of England in October as its first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Mullally is scheduled to be enthroned as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25.

GAFCON, which primarily unites conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, has consistently voiced opposition to what it considers liberal developments within parts of the Anglican Communion, including the ordination of women as priests and bishops and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ members.

When asked whether members of the movement still recognised the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, GAFCON spokesman Justin Murff stated that the newly formed Global Anglican Council acknowledges Mbanda as its leader.

In reaction to the development, a spokesperson for the Anglican Communion Office in London expressed concern, saying it is painful for the Christian community when churches consider separating or renouncing association with others over disagreements.

Historically, the Church of England itself separated from the Roman Catholic Church nearly five centuries ago under the reign of Henry VIII. Since then, the Archbishop of Canterbury has served as the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which expanded globally through missionary activity.

GAFCON, founded in 2008, insists that its latest move does not amount to a departure from the Anglican Communion but rather an effort to reorganise it around what members describe as biblical authority. In earlier remarks, Mbanda argued that the group had not left the communion, asserting that it represents the authentic expression of Anglicanism.

While leading prayers during the conference, Mbanda declared that the church had entered a decisive moment, stating that a new chapter had begun and that there would be no turning back.

Observers note that Anglican churches in Africa and Asia, where the denomination has experienced its fastest growth in recent decades, have increasingly resisted progressive trends emerging from England and other Western countries. The disagreements over women’s ordination and LGBTQ+ inclusion have deepened divisions within the global communion, pushing the centuries-old fellowship closer to a historic fracture.