80% of Anglicans Just Told Canterbury to Pound Sand and Chose Their Own Path

Conservative Anglicans Reject Single Leader to Rival Archbishop of Canterbury at GAFCON G26 Summit

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) stunned observers at its G26 summit in Abuja, Nigeria, by scrapping plans to elect a "first among equals" leader who would serve as a direct rival to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Instead of appointing a single spiritual head, the movement which represents roughly 80 percent of global Anglicans chose to establish a conciliar governance model under the newly renamed Global Anglican Council.

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda was unanimously elected as chairman of the council, with Archbishop Miguel Uchoa as deputy chair and Bishop Paul Donison as general secretary. The leadership terms will run until GAFCON V in Athens, Greece, in 2028.

The expanded Council reflects the willingness of the Primates to share their authority with a wider group of global Anglican leaders, both lay and clergy.

Bishop Paul Donison, GAFCON's general secretary, made the statement while explaining the rationale behind the decision.

The four day conference, held from March 3 to 6, brought together 347 Anglican bishops and 121 lay and clerical leaders from 27 provinces across the world. The theme was "Choose this day whom you will serve" from Joshua 24:15.

GAFCON emerged in 2008 when a coalition of conservative church leaders boycotted the Lambeth Conference, protesting Western Anglican churches that bless same sex unions and ordain LGBTQ+ clergy. The conflict escalated sharply after the Church of England appointed Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in October 2025.

GAFCON Chooses Shared Governance Over Rival Archbishop at Historic Abuja Summit

Archbishop Mbanda called on churches to choose between GAFCON or the official Anglican Communion, requiring them to sever institutional ties with Canterbury. However, the decision to adopt shared governance rather than appointing a single primus inter pares reflects a desire to model a different kind of leadership from Canterbury's hierarchical structure.

Bishop Yassir Eric of Sudan noted the significance of large churches like Nigeria's agreeing to share authority with lay members, calling it particularly important given the persecution pressures in Muslim majority regions his diocese serves.

The reformed council includes primates, bishops, clergy, and laypeople, with all provinces holding equal voting power regardless of size or institutional influence. Donison described the decision as a "movement of the Holy Spirit."

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be clear about what is happening here. The global Anglican family is fracturing because the Church of England chose progressive ideology over Scripture. When Canterbury decided that pleasing secular culture mattered more than faithfulness to God's Word, 80 percent of the world's Anglicans said enough. GAFCON's decision not to crown a rival archbishop but to share authority among faithful leaders is a profoundly Christian move. Power shared is power sanctified. Meanwhile, the dwindling Western churches that drove this split continue emptying their pews in record numbers. Perhaps that is the only sermon the faithless need to hear.

Take Action

• Learn More: Visit GAFCON's official website to read the Abuja Affirmation and understand the new Global Anglican Communion structure.
• Pray: Lift up persecuted Anglican believers in Sudan, Nigeria, and other nations where faithfulness to Scripture comes at a physical cost.
• Support Persecuted Christians: Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to directly support Christians under threat for their faith.
• Share: Post this story on social media and ask your church leadership where they stand on biblical authority within the Anglican tradition.
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