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

Conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia have formed a new leadership council to oversee the global Anglican Communion, distancing themselves from the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury just weeks before the new archbishop is due to assume office.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) made the announcement on Thursday, saying the new body would replace what it described as outdated leadership structures. The organisation says it represents the majority of the world’s estimated 85 million Anglicans spread across 165 countries.

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, a former Rwandan refugee who later studied in the United States, was elected as chairman of the newly created council. According to GAFCON, Mbanda will lead through a shared leadership structure rather than serving as the traditional “first among equals.”

Speaking at the conference in Abuja, Nigeria, the council’s secretary general, Bishop Paul Donison, said the existing leadership system within the Anglican Communion no longer reflects the needs of most Anglicans around the world.

He explained that the global church would now be guided by a conciliar model of leadership involving bishops, priests, and lay representatives, all of whom will have voting rights.

The development poses a direct challenge to Sarah Mullally, whom the Church of England appointed in October as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Mullally is expected to be formally installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25.

GAFCON spokesperson Justin Murff confirmed that the new council recognises Archbishop Laurent Mbanda as its leader when asked whether the group still acknowledges the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In reaction, a spokesperson for the Anglican Communion Office in London expressed concern over the move, noting that divisions within the church weaken its unity.

The Church of England itself separated from the Roman Catholic Church nearly five centuries ago during the reign of King Henry VIII. Since then, the Archbishop of Canterbury has served as the symbolic leader of the Anglican Communion, a global church that spread through missionary work.

Founded in 2008, GAFCON insists it is not leaving the Anglican Communion but rather restructuring it based on what its members describe as Biblical authority. In October, Mbanda maintained that the group remains part of the communion, saying they consider themselves to represent it.

During prayers at the conference, Mbanda described the moment as the beginning of a new chapter for the church.

In many African and Asian countries, where Anglican membership has grown rapidly in recent decades, church leaders have strongly opposed progressive changes in parts of the Western church, particularly on issues such as women’s ordination and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ members. These disagreements have increasingly strained unity within the global Anglican community.

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