View source for Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans

{{Short description|Global Confessing Movement of Anglican churches and provinces, 2008-}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name = Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
| icon                =
| icon_width          =
| image               = Gafcon-logo-global-anglicans.png
| imagewidth          = 200px
| alt                 =
| caption =
| main_classification = [[Western Christian]] (with various theological and doctrinal identities, including Anglo-Catholic, Charismatic, Evangelical)
| orientation = [[Confessing movement|Confessing]] [[Anglican]]
| polity = [[Episcopal polity|Episcopal]]
| type = [[Communion (Christian)|Communion]]
| theology = [[Anglican doctrine]]
| founder =
| founded_date = 2008
| founded_place = [[Global Anglican Future Conference]], [[Jerusalem]]
| leader_title1 = Chairman
| leader_name1 = [[Laurent Mbanda]]
| leader_title2 = Vice Chairmen
| leader_name2 = [[Kanishka Raffel]], [[Miguel Uchôa]]
| leader_title3 = General Secretary
| leader_name3 = [[Paul Donison]]
| headquarters = Sheffield, England
| separated_from = [[Anglican Communion]]
| scripture = [[Holy Bible]]
| parent =
| merger =
| separations =
| area =
| congregations =
| members = c. 40,000,000
| website = [https://www.gafcon.org/ gafcon.org]
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans''' (branded as '''GAFCON''' or '''Gafcon''') is a communion of conservative [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] churches that formed in 2008 in response to ongoing theological disputes in the worldwide [[Anglican Communion]]. Conservative Anglicans met in 2008 at the [[Global Anglican Future Conference]], creating the Jerusalem Declaration and establishing the '''Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans''' ('''FCA'''), which was rebranded as GAFCON in 2017.
==History==
{{main article|Global Anglican Future Conference}}
{{Anglican realignment}}
The GAFCON Final Statement produced at the first conference recognises the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] for his historic role in the Anglican Church but denies that his recognition is the cornerstone of Anglican identity. The statement also called for the formation of "A Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans."<ref>{{cite web |title=GAFCON Final Statement |url=http://gafcon.org/news/gafcon_final_statement/ |access-date=11 November 2014 |website=GAFCON}}</ref>
GAFCON was instrumental in the formation of the [[Anglican Church in North America]] in 2009. The ACNA was formed as an alternative church structure for those disaffected by the official Anglican structures in the United States and Canada. The [[Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America]], which covers much of South America, is a key constituent of the GAFCON movement. The [[Anglican Diocese of Sydney]], Australia, played an important role in forming the FCA and its Archbishop [[Peter Jensen (bishop)|Peter Jensen]] was the FCA's first secretary.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Sydney Synod endorses Jerusalem Declaration|publisher=Anglican Diocese of Sydney|date=October 20, 2008|url=http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/mediareleases/sydney_synod_endorses_jerusalem_declaration/|access-date=5 June 2010}}</ref>
On 6 July 2009, GAFCON was launched within the British Isles and by 2016 rebranded itself as GAFCON GB & Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Gafcon GB & Europe |url=https://gafcongbe.org/about |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Gafcon GB & Europe}}</ref> Through this branch, the [[Anglican Network in Europe]] was created, and the [[Reformed Episcopal Church]] and [[Free Church of England]] have been members of GAFCON GB & Europe since 2008. In 2015, [[Rod Thomas (bishop)|Rod Thomas]] (a member of the executive of [[Anglican Mission in England|AMiE]]) was consecrated the [[provincial episcopal visitor]] for conservative evangelical members of the Church of England.
On 3 September 2009, GAFCON's South African branch was established by the initiative of Bishop [[Bethlehem Nopece]], of the [[Anglican Diocese of Port Elizabeth]]. It incorporates Anglicans from three denominations: the [[Anglican Church of Southern Africa]], the [[Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa]] (REACH-SA) and the [[Traditional Anglican Communion]].<ref>{{cite press release |title=Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans launched in South Africa |publisher=GAFCON |date=September 3, 2009 |url=http://www.gafcon.org/news/fellowship_of_confessing_anglicans_launched_in_south_africa/}}</ref> In 2023, REACH-SA was recognized as an "authentic Anglican province" by the Gafcon Primates' Council, and its presiding bishop, Glenn Lyons, was seated on the council.<ref name="reach-sa">{{cite news |title=New General Secretary for GAFCON |url=https://anglican.ink/2023/11/10/new-general-secretary-for-gafcon/ |access-date=11 November 2023 |work=Anglican Ink |date=November 10, 2023}}</ref>
==Organization==
The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans aims to extend the goals of the GAFCON conferences into a movement, to "preach the biblical gospel [...] all over the world" and "provide aid to [...] faithful Anglicans" disaffected from their original churches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jerusalem Declaration - June 2008 |url=https://www.gafcon.org/about/jerusalem-declaration |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=GAFCON}}</ref> The fellowship recognizes the Jerusalem Declaration, written at the 2008 GAFCON meeting, as a "contemporary rule." The fellowship is administered by a "Primates' Council" originally consisting of Primates from the African provinces of the [[Anglican Communion]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Structure |url=https://www.gafcon.org/about/structure |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=GAFCON}}</ref>
===Member provinces===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
!  Provinces
!  Territorial jurisdiction
! data-sort-type="number"|  Membership (in thousands of people)
! [[Anglican Communion]] member province
! [[Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches]] member
! Represented on GAFCON Primates Council
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Brazil"| [[Anglican Church in Brazil]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Brazil]], [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]], [[Central America]]
| N/A
| No
| Yes
| Yes ([[Miguel Uchôa]], vice chairman)
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Chile"| [[Anglican Church of Chile]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Chile]]
| 20<ref name="iach.cl">{{Cite web |url=http://www.iach.cl/2018/11/05/iglesia-anglicana-de-chile-se-convierte-en-la-provincia-40o-del-mundo/ |title=Iglesia Anglicana de Chile se convierte en la provincia 40º del mundo, Anglican Church of Chile Official Website (Spanish) |access-date=7 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107225133/http://www.iach.cl/2018/11/05/iglesia-anglicana-de-chile-se-convierte-en-la-provincia-40o-del-mundo/ |archive-date=7 November 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes ([[Tito Zavala|Hector Zavala Muñoz]])
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Congo"| [[Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Republic of Congo]]
| 500<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/church-of-christ-in-congo-anglican-community-of-congo|title=Church of Christ in Congo – Anglican Community of Congo – World Council of Churches|website=www.oikoumene.org|language=en|access-date=14 June 2016}}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| No
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Europe"| [[Anglican Network in Europe]] (proto-province)
| style="vertical-align: top;" | Europe
| N/A
| No
| No
| No
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Kenya"| [[Anglican Church of Kenya]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Kenya]]
| 5,000<ref>{{Cite web|title=OUR HISTORY - ACK|url=https://www.ackenya.org/mission-of-the-church/about-mission/|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Anglican Church of Kenya|language=en-US}}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes ([[Jackson Ole Sapit]])
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Myanmar"| [[Church of the Province of Myanmar]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Myanmar]]
| 62<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/church-of-the-province-of-myanmar|title=Church of the Province of Myanmar – World Council of Churches|website=www.oikoumene.org|language=en|access-date=14 June 2016}}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes ([[Stephen Than Myint Oo]])
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Nigeria"| [[Church of Nigeria]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Nigeria]]
| 18,000<ref name="Church of Nigeria">{{cite web|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/church-of-nigeria-anglican-communion |title=World Council of Churches |access-date=6 January 2016}}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes ([[Henry Ndukuba]])
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="North America" | [[Anglican Church in North America]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | Canada, Mexico, United States
| 122<ref name="acna-2021-stats">{{cite web |title=Congregational Reporting: 2021 in Review |url=https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rp70xuodivly2bm/AABmdX40gdldjDnRub3Puloka/Congregational%20Reporting/Congregational%20Report%20of%202021%20to%20Provincial%20Council%202022%20FINAL.pdf?dl=0 |publisher=Anglican Church in North America |access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>
| No
| Yes
| Yes ([[Steve Wood (bishop)|Steve Wood]])
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Rwanda"| [[Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Rwanda]]
| 1,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/province-of-the-episcopal-church-in-rwanda|title=Province of the Anglican Church in Rwanda – World Council of Churches|website=www.oikoumene.org|language=en|access-date=14 June 2016}}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes ([[Laurent Mbanda]], chairman)
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Southern Africa"| [[Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa]]<ref name="reach-sa"></ref>
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Malawi]], [[Namibia]], [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]]
| 100<ref>{{cite web|title=Church Denominations in South Africa|url=http://www.sachristian.co.za/church.html|publisher=SA Christian|access-date=18 December 2011|archive-date=20 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140620221648/http://www.sachristian.co.za/church.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| No
| No
| Yes ([[Siegfried Ngubane]])
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="South America"| [[Anglican Church of South America]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | Argentina, [[Bolivia]], [[Paraguay]], [[Peru]], [[Uruguay]]
| 23<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/anglican-church-of-south-america|title=Anglican Church of South America – World Council of Churches|website=www.oikoumene.org|language=en|access-date=14 June 2016}}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| No
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="South Sudan"| [[Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[South Sudan]]
| 3,500
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes ([[Justin Badi Arama]])
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Uganda"| [[Church of Uganda]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Uganda]]
| 11,000<ref name="anglican-studies">{{Cite journal|last=Muñoz|first=Daniel|date=May 2016|title=North to South: A Reappraisal of Anglican Communion Membership Figures|journal=[[Journal of Anglican Studies]]|language=en|volume=14|issue=1|pages=71–95|doi=10.1017/S1740355315000212|issn=1740-3553|doi-access=free}}</ref>
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes ([[Stephen Kaziimba]])
|}<ref name="gafcon-members">{{cite web |title=Global Movement |url=https://www.gafcon.org/about/global-movement |access-date=29 September 2022 |website=GAFCON}}</ref>
===Non-provincial GAFCON branches===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
!  Branches
!  Territorial jurisdiction
! data-sort-type="number"|  Membership (in thousands of people)
! Other affiliated entities
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Australia"| Gafcon Australia
| style="vertical-align: top;" | Australia
| TBD
| [[Anglican Diocese of Sydney]], [[Anglican Diocese of Tasmania]], [[Diocese of the Southern Cross]]
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Europe"| Gafcon GB and Europe
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Continental Europe]], [[Great Britain]]
| TBD
| [[Anglican Network in Europe]], [[Free Church of England]], [[Reformed Episcopal Church]]
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Ghana"| Gafcon Ghana
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Ghana]]
| TBD
| [[Anglican Diocese of Sunyani]]
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Ireland"| Gafcon Ireland
| style="vertical-align: top;" | Ireland, Northern Ireland
| TBD
|
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="New Zealand" | [[Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand|Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | New Zealand
| TBD
|
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Southern Africa"| [[Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa]]
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Malawi]], [[Namibia]], [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]]
| 100<ref>{{cite web|title=Church Denominations in South Africa|url=http://www.sachristian.co.za/church.html|publisher=SA Christian|access-date=18 December 2011|archive-date=20 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140620221648/http://www.sachristian.co.za/church.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|
|- valign="top"
| style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="Tanzania"| Gafcon Tanzania
| style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Tanzania]]
| TBD
| [[Anglican Church of Tanzania]] Dioceses of [[Anglican Diocese of Tabora|Tabora]], [[Anglican Diocese of Mara|Mara]], [[Anglican Diocese of Mpwapwa|Mpwapwa]], [[Anglican Diocese of Tarime|Tarime]], [[Anglican Diocese of Kibondo|Kibondo]], [[Anglican Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro|Mount Kilimanjaro]], [[Anglican Diocese of Rorya|Rorya]], [[Anglican Diocese of Shinyanga|Shinyanga]], [[Anglican Diocese of Lake Rukwa|Lake Rukwa]], and [[Anglican Diocese of Western Tanganyika|Western Tanganyika]]<ref name="tanzania-member-dioceses">{{cite web |title=A COMMUNIQUE FROM GAFCON TANZANIA |url=https://www.gafcon.org/news/communique-from-gafcon-tanzania |website=Gafcon Global Anglicans |access-date=29 September 2022}}</ref>
|}<nowiki> </nowiki><ref name="gafcon-members" />
== Ordination of women ==
The [[Ordination of women in the Anglican Communion|ordination of women]] to [[holy orders]], the offices of deacon, priest (presbyter), and bishop, remains controversial in GAFCON. In 2006, the [[Church of Nigeria]] planned to ordain women to the diaconate, but not as priests or bishops.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 July 2006 |title=Women Clergy a Future Possibility for Nigeria, says Bishop |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/women.clergy.a.future.possibility.for.nigeria.says.bishop/7052.htm|access-date=2021-09-14|website=[[Christian Today]] |language=en}}</ref> In 2010, the church moved forward with those plans and began to ordain women as deacons, with limitations "for specific purposes like hospital work and school services".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: Cleric Okays Women Ordination {{!}} WWRN - World-wide Religious News|url=https://wwrn.org/articles/33610/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=wwrn.org}}</ref> The Church of Nigeria continues to prohibit the ordination of women as priests or bishops.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rubenstein|first=Mary-Jane|date=2004-06-01|title=An Anglican Crisis of Comparison: Intersections of Race, Gender, and Religious Authority, with Particular Reference to the Church of Nigeria|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/jaarel/lfh033|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Religion|volume=72|issue=2|pages=341–365|doi=10.1093/jaarel/lfh033|pmid=20681098|issn=0002-7189}}</ref> The [[Church of Uganda]] has ordained women as deacons since 1973 and as priests since 1983.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 3, 2017|title=50 Years of Shared Responsibility with God-called Women in the Church of the Province of Uganda|url=https://ucudir.ucu.ac.ug/bitstream/handle/20.500.11951/234/Byaruhanga_Keynote%20Address%20on%2050%20Years%20of%20Shared%20Responsibility%20with%20God-called%20Women%20in%20the%20Church%20of%20the%20Province%20of%20Uganda_2017.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|access-date=September 14, 2021|website=Uganda Christian University}}</ref> The [[Anglican Church in North America]] allows each diocese to decide whether to ordain women as deacons or priests but does not permit the ordination of women as bishops.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andrew Gross|date=2017-09-08|title=College of Bishops Statement on the Ordination of Women|url=https://anglicanchurch.net/college-of-bishops-statement-on-the-ordination-of-women/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=The Anglican Church in North America|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, the primatial bishops of the GAFCON member churches agreed to a moratorium on further ordinations of women to the episcopate.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Conger|first=George|date=2018-04-22|title=GAFCON adopts moratorium on women bishops|url=https://anglican.ink/2018/04/21/gafcon-adopts-moratorium-on-women-bishops/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=Anglican Ink © 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Task Force on Women in the Episcopate, Interim Report (2019) {{!}} GAFCON|url=https://www.gafcon.org/resources/task-force-on-women-in-the-episcopate-interim-report-2019|access-date=2021-09-14|website=www.gafcon.org}}</ref> In 2016, prior to the moratorium, the [[Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan|Episcopal Church of Sudan]] consecrated the first woman, [[Elizabeth Awut Ngor]], as bishop and the first among the GAFCON members.<ref>{{Cite web|last=lwilson|date=2021-08-06|title=Anglican Church in Kenya appoints first two women bishops|url=https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2021/08/06/89000/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=Episcopal News Service|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2021, the [[Anglican Church of Kenya]] consecrated two women as bishops, [[Emily Onyango]] was consecrated as an assisting bishop and [[Rose Okeno]] was consecrated as the diocesan bishop of the [[Anglican dioceses of Maseno|Diocese of Butere]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Conger|first=George|date=2021-01-27|title=Appointment of women bishop in Kenya challenged|url=https://anglican.ink/2021/01/26/appointment-of-women-bishop-in-kenya-challenged/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=Anglican Ink © 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Rose Okeno consecrated as first female bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya|url=https://citizentv.co.ke/news/rose-okeno-consecrated-as-first-female-bishop-of-the-anglican-church-of-kenya-13099724/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=Citizentv.co.ke|date=13 September 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Shilitsa|first=John|title=History as first woman bishop, Rose Okeno, takes the reins|url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001423334/history-as-first-woman-bishop-rose-okeno-takes-the-reins|access-date=2021-09-14|website=The Standard|language=en}}</ref> In 2022, Archbishop Kaziimba of the Church of Uganda confirmed that a woman may be ordained a bishop in the Church of Uganda.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uganda Is Ready for A Female Bishop- Archbishop Kaziimba |url=https://ugandaradionetwork.net/story/uganda-is-ready-for-a-female-bishop-archbishop-kaziimba- |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=Uganda Radionetwork |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Independent |first=The |date=2022-04-18 |title=Uganda is ready for a female Bishop: Archbishop Kaziimba |url=https://www.independent.co.ug/uganda-is-ready-for-a-female-bishop-archbishop-kaziimba/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=The Independent Uganda |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2023, the [[Diocese of the Southern Cross]] welcomed its first female priest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandeman |first=John |date=2023-01-30 |title=Gafcon's Southern Cross diocese gets a woman minister, and church number four |url=https://theothercheek.com.au/gafcons-southern-cross-diocese-gets-a-woman-minister-and-church-number-four/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=THE OTHER CHEEK |language=en-AU}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Global Anglican Future Conference]]
* [[Anglican realignment]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://www.gafcon.org/ Official website]
* [https://www.gafcon.org/about/jerusalem-declaration The Jerusalem Declaration]
{{Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans}}
{{Anglican Church in North America}}
[[Category:Anglicanism]]
[[Category:Anglican realignment]]
[[Category:Anglican Church in North America]]
[[Category:Schisms in Christianity]]