347 Bishops Just Rejected Canterbury: GAFCON Forms Rival Anglican Council in Nigeria

GAFCON Elects Rival Anglican Leader in Nigeria, Denies Breaking Away From Canterbury

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) has formally established a rival governing body to the Canterbury led Anglican Communion, electing Rwandan Archbishop Laurent Mbanda as chairman of a newly created Global Anglican Council at its G26 conference in Abuja, Nigeria.

The landmark vote took place on March 6, 2026, with 347 bishops and 121 lay and clerical leaders from 27 provinces in attendance. Archbishop Miguel Uchoa was elected Vice Chairman, and Bishop Paul Donison was named General Secretary.

GAFCON spokesman Justin Murff told Reuters the move was not a schism but rather an effort to "reorganise and realign" the Communion back to Scripture.

Today, GAFCON is leading the Global Anglican Communion. As has been the case from the very beginning, we are the Anglican Communion.

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda declared after his election.

Archbishop Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba of Nigeria reinforced the theological basis for the restructuring, stating the new body was "not built on institutions of Canterbury, but returning, bringing back the Word of God."

The breakaway follows years of deepening division over same sex blessings, the ordination of women as bishops, and the October 2025 election of Dame Sarah Mullally as the Church of England's first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Mullally, who has described herself as a pro choice feminist, proved to be the final catalyst for many conservative provinces.

GAFCON's October 16, 2025 declaration formally rejected the four traditional "Instruments of Communion" as having "failed to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Communion," asserting that "the Holy Bible" must serve as the sole foundation of communion.

Oxford historian Diarmaid MacCulloch disputed GAFCON's framing, calling the move effectively a schism regardless of how it is labeled.

When we make radical breaks from one another, it's very hard to mend those walls.

Bishop Graham Tomlin warned.

GAFCON claims to represent roughly 75 million of the world's 85 million Anglicans, though these figures remain disputed. The conference's theme was "Choose this day whom you will serve" from Joshua 24:15.

Conservative Anglicans Form Global Anglican Council, Reject Canterbury's Authority Over the Church

Pastor Rick Warren also addressed the G26 gathering, urging leaders to "finish the task" of the Great Commission. The conference, hosted by the Church of Nigeria at St. Matthias House, ran from March 3 to 6 and represented the largest gathering of GAFCON bishops in its history.

The practical effect of this reorganization means two competing bodies now claim to represent global Anglicanism: one centered in Canterbury under Archbishop Mullally, and another led by the Global Anglican Council under Archbishop Mbanda.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be absolutely clear about what happened in Abuja. The bishops who gathered in Nigeria did not leave the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Communion left them. When Canterbury chose to bless what Scripture condemns, when it elevated cultural surrender over biblical fidelity, it abandoned the faith once delivered to the saints. GAFCON is not the rebel here. Canterbury is.

These 347 bishops from the Global South, representing the fastest growing segment of Christianity on Earth, stood up and said: we will not trade eternal truth for temporal approval. That is not schism. That is faithfulness. The real question every Anglican should be asking is not "Why did GAFCON leave?" but "Why are you still following Canterbury into apostasy?"

Take Action

• Pray daily for the leaders of the Global Anglican Council, especially Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, as they navigate this historic realignment.
• Visit GAFCON.org to read the Abuja Affirmation and stay informed about the Global Anglican Council's next steps.
• Contact your local Anglican or Episcopal parish leadership and ask where they stand on the authority of Scripture and the Canterbury question.
• Support faithful Anglican ministry through The Shepherd's Shield, which provides resources to persecuted and marginalized Christian communities.
• Share this story with fellow Christians. The mainstream media will frame this as division. Make sure people hear the truth: this is about faithfulness, not fracture.