"Woke" Rift Widens as African Anglicans Boycott UK-led Church

A major bloc of conservative Anglican churches mostly from Africa has urged its members to boycott meetings convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury and halt financial contributions to central Anglican institutions, escalating a long-running dispute over authority and doctrine within the global Anglican Communion.

The declaration was issued by the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) following three days of meetings in Nigeria, where leaders announced the creation of a new governing structure intended to represent conservative Anglican provinces.

The move comes shortly before the scheduled enthronement of Sarah Mullally as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, traditionally regarded as the spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans across 165 countries.

GAFCON leaders said the decision represents what they described as a “principled disengagement” from existing structures linked to the Church of England.

In a statement read by Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, who was installed as chairman of the new governing body, the group called on its leaders to avoid participation in major Anglican decision-making forums.

Leaders who hold office in the Global Anglican Communion must not attend future Primates’ meetings called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, nor attend the Lambeth Conference, nor attend ACC meetings or participate in Commissions of the ACC.

GAFCON

The statement also urged members to halt funding for Anglican Communion bodies.

“Leaders should not personally approve financial contributions to the ACC. It is also expected that they will not receive financial assistance from compromised sources.”

The financial implications of the move were not immediately clear.

During the Nigeria meetings, GAFCON also unveiled a restructuring of its leadership with the formation of a Global Anglican Council, which replaces the GAFCON Primates Council that had led the movement since its establishment in 2008.

The new council includes primates, advisors and guarantors, including bishops, clergy and lay representatives who will hold voting rights. GAFCON said the structure is intended to broaden leadership participation across the global church.

At its inaugural session, the council elected Archbishop Laurent Mbanda as chairman, Archbishop Miguel Uchoa as vice chairman and Bishop Paul Donison as general secretary. Their leadership terms will run until the next GAFCON Assembly scheduled for 2028 in Athens.

Mbanda emphasized that the new structure was not intended to create direct institutional rivalry with Canterbury.

“We are not fighting anybody,” he said in an interview with ACNN (Advent Cable Network Nigeria).

He added that the initiative reflects a theological commitment to biblical teaching rather than disputes about leadership roles.

“This is not about gender, and it is not about female leadership. It is about the teaching of the Word of God.”

The Anglican Communion has faced internal tensions for decades over doctrinal and social questions including the ordination of women and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ members.

GAFCON emerged in 2008 as a coalition of conservative Anglican provinces, many based in Africa and Asia, where the church has experienced rapid growth.

Founded roughly 500 years ago when the Church of England broke with Rome, the Anglican Communion has since expanded globally, particularly in former British colonies.

GAFCON leaders argue that the new council reflects the reality that many Anglican provinces believe existing governance structures no longer represent the majority of Anglicans worldwide.

The group said the expanded council model marks a shift away from centralized leadership toward a more conciliar form of governance, in which authority is shared among bishops, clergy and lay representatives.

Supporters say the structure is intended to strengthen coordination among conservative provinces while maintaining ties with Anglicans committed to what they describe as biblical orthodoxy.

The restructuring signals one of the most significant institutional challenges to the historic leadership framework of the Anglican Communion in recent decades.