News | GAFCON Home | GAFCON GAFCON Statements | GAFCON During the event, attendees crafted and released a statement called the Kigali Commitment 2023. The statement comments on eight separate topics, including the current crisis within the Anglican Communion, the failure of the current archbishop of Canterbury, and steps necessary for resetting the Communion.. GAFCON IV Conference Statement. We consider that those who refuse to repent have abdicated their right to leadership within the Anglican Communion, and we commit ourselves to working with orthodox Primates and other leaders to reset the Communion on its biblical foundations. Following two days of extensive debate, the Church of England's General Synod voted in February in favor of offering prayers for God's blessing on same-sex couples. This is all the more necessary in the current context of sexual and gender confusion, made worse by its deliberate and systematic promotion across the world. Download a video report on Gafcon to play in church on Sunday. The Church of England has chosen to impair herrelationship with the orthodox provinces in the Communion. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. All Rights Reserved. Downloadable version [Christ] is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. We commit ourselves into the hands of our almighty and loving heavenly Father with confidence that he will fulfil all his promises and, even through a time of pruning, Christ will build his church. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Chairman in his opening address encouraged us to be a repenting church, a reconciling church, a reproducing church and a relentlessly compassionate church. We deliver complex projects that power vibrant communities. - Gafcon It is not appropriate pastoral care to mislead people, by pretending that God blesses sexually active relationships between two. 10:15am - Morning Tea. Gafcon is a movement focused on evangelism and mission, church planting and providing support and a home for faithful Anglicans who are pressured by or alienated from revisionist dioceses and provinces. We have no confidence that the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the other Instruments of Communion led by him (the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and thePrimates Meetings) are able toprovide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of Scripture. We were grateful for the extraordinary hospitality extended by Archbishop Laurent Mbanda and the Anglican Church of Rwanda. During the event, attendees crafted and released a statement called the "Kigali Commitment 2023." The statement comments on eight separate topics, including the current crisis within the Anglican Communion, the failure of the current . The Gafcon Kigali communiqu in full - The Church Times It is a feature of every GAFCON Conference. It carries Gods own authority, is its own interpreter, and it does not need to be supplemented, nor can it ever be overturned by human wisdom. 19 January 2023Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ during this Epiphany Season! These statements are also a repudiation of Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which declared that homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture, and advised against the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions. Response to CofE Bishops Statement | GAFCON Apr 7, 2023; . To whom shall we go? We go to Christ who alone has the words of eternal life (John 6:68) and then we go with Christ to the whole world. This occurred despite the Archbishop of Canterbury having affirmed that the validity of the resolution passed at the Lambeth Conference 1998, I.10 is not in doubt and that whole resolution is still in existence. After the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Anglican faith is the third-largest Christian communion in the world, with an estimated 85 million adherents worldwide (counting both those inside the Anglican Communion and Anglicans outside of it). The Statement Group was appointed by the participating Primates. Friday 21 April 2023 On Friday 21 April, the GAFCON IV Conference Statement was released. It is clear from this conference that most of the worlds Anglicans have lost confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of Scripture, says Bishop Stead. Refugees from the conflict in Sudan are fleeing to Egypt. [Christ] is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. The fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) will be held at the Kigali Convention Centre, Rwanda, in April 2023. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. It is a feature of every GAFCON Conference. Public statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other leaders of the Church of England in support of same-sex . Kigali 2023 - GAFCON IV For updates on the Conference please visit our new conference website. Rachel Campos-Duffy: Christianity is under attack. We support their efforts to uphold biblical orthodoxy and to resist breaches of Resolution I.10. GAFCON is "a global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion," according to its website, which explains the movement emerged in 2008 in response to increasing theological liberalism in the Anglican Communion. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) recently met in Kigali, Rwanda, for its fourth meeting. We will upload each episode straight after they are broadcast on Facebook. Market data provided by Factset. ", The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby leads the opening service of the 15th Lambeth Conference at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. Follow the updates on social media with the hashtag #globalmomentandprayer. GAFCON: The prophetic indictment: Thesis 8 - Anglican Ink - 2023 The GAFCON IV Conference Statement - The Kigali Commitment 2023 - was read this morning, to resounding applause from the delegates. The Suffragan Bishop of Ebbsfleet, Dr Rob Munro, is the only serving Church of England bishop at the conference. The process of separation will be painful for them and will likely take years to complete. Regrettably, their calls have been largely unheededeven by the archbishop of Canterburyand so the Anglicans in GAFCON must separate themselves from the unrepentant (Matt. This will be the subject of my next thesis. Colossians 1:18 Greetings from Kigali, Rwanda, where the fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) met from 17-21 April 2023, bringing together 1,302 delegates from 52 countries, including 315 bishops, 456 other . The goal is that orthodox Anglicans worldwide will have a clear identity, a global spiritual home of which they can be proud, and a strong leadership structure that gives them stability and direction as Global Anglicans. It grieves the Holy Spirit and us that the leadership of the Church of England is determined to bless sin. Conference Schedule - GAFCON 2023 - Kigali But let it not be understated, the primary and most immediate objective must be to elect a new first among equals and replace the Archbishop of Canterbury as . We were also privileged to be welcomed and addressed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda, the Right Honourable Edouard Ngirente who spoke of the significance of our gathering. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. 21st April 2023. enable same-sex couples to receive Gods blessing, GAFCON IV: Lessons from a Communion in Birth Pains, The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents. Some member churches ordain LGBT+ clergy or wed same-sex couples. The 2022 Lambeth Conference demonstrated the deep divisions in the Anglican Communion as many bishops chose not to attend and some of those who did withdrew from sharing at the Lords table. And in this great salvation story through Jesus, the Apostle Paul remarks about our former way of living, And that is what some of you were. Some of the main points of the document are as follows: The Church of England and those churches with historical ties to it or who share its beliefs, modes of worship, and organizational structures are collectively referred to as belonging to the Anglican tradition within Christianity. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. THE CALL OF JESUS AND THE RESPONSE OF PETER IN JOHN 6:66-69 SHAPE THE MOOD AND THE MOMENTUM OF THIS GAFCON MOMENT. But the real issue is our core values are somewhat different in the sense of what we do. Gafcon considered itself to be a movement, while the GSFA was more focused on building an episcopal structure, he said. Each day at the Conference, in response to Gods Word in Colossians, we were led in a time of repentance. History will reveal that The Episcopal Church will die the richest church in the world, with the wealthiest parish Trinity Wall Street left, a spiritually hollowed-out church while taking in millions from properties they own. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God [see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11]. AN HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION: KEY - VirtueOnline We will explore fresh ways to encourage each other, to pray for one another and to hold each other accountable in these things. (Note: the Jerusalem Declaration is an integral part of the Jerusalem Statement.) is a gathering of bishops, meeting every 10 years; the. GAFCON IV Statement - April 21, 2023; Media Release - April 19, 2023; A Call to Prayer for the Mbanda Family; Media Release - April 18, 2023; Media Release - April 17, 2023; In the News. This was also intended to allow participation by bishops from Pakistan and Sudan, who would not be able to visit Israel. 7r :krp 6kdoo :h *r" (&/&3"-*/'03."5*0/ %"5&4 Ask your church to celebrate Gafcon Sunday on 25 June 2023 by. However we reject the claim that two contradictory positions can both be valid in matters affecting salvation. The Sufficiency & Pre-Eminence of Christ. Help TGC bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work. The Church of England finds Our Father problematic. The latest departure is the General Synod of the Church of Englands majority vote in February 2023 to. These warnings were blatantly and deliberately disregarded and now without repentance this tear cannot be mended. Some within the Communion have been taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies of this world (Colossians 2:8). The statement adds that fellowship is broken when we turn aside from Gods Word or attempt to reinterpret it in any way that overturns the plain reading of the text in its canonical context and so deny its truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency, and thereby its authority.. Some within the Communion have been taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies of this world (Colossians 2:8). We pledge ourselves afresh to support and care for one another in a loving and pastorally sensitive way asmembers of Christs body, building one another up in the Word and in the Spirit, and encouraging eachotherto experience Gods transforming power as wewalk by faith in the path of repentance and obedience that leads to fullness of life. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby before delivering his Easter Sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on April 17, 2022, in Canterbury, England. Anticipating the need for a revival, reformation, and reordering of the Communion, the Jerusalem Statement goes on to lay out a new statement of Anglican essentials, the Jerusalem Declaration. Friday 21 April 2023 The GAFCON IV Conference Statement - The Kigali Commitment 2023 - was read this morning, to. Anglican identity is defined by this and not by recognition from the See of Canterbury. Construction of GAFCON communique underway - Anglican Ink - 2023 Gafcon meeting in Kigali rejects all existing forms of Anglican authority Non-subscribers canreadfour articles for free each month. Apr 24, 2023. He needs the new glasses to examine what this "ginger group . We therefore commit to pray that God will guide this process of resetting, and that Gafcon and GSFA will keep in step with the Spirit. We will prioritise youth and childrens ministry that instructs them in the Word of the Lord, disciples them to maturity in Christ and equips them for a lifetime of Christian service. We welcome the GSFAs Ash Wednesday Statement of 20 February 2023, calling for a resetting and reordering of the Communion. The Bishop of Norwich is seeking a prayerful and visionary Director of Mission and Ministry. Since the inception of Gafcon, it has been necessary for the Gafcon Primates to recognise new orthodox jurisdictions for faithful Anglicans, such as the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), the Anglican Church in Brazil, the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE), the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Diocese of the Southern Cross. The Gafcon Secretariat can facilitate international mission links with partners which open up exciting opportunities for reciprocal mission and by adopting the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration, dioceses and parishes positively identify themselves with mainstream faithful Anglicanism. We cannot follow the Church of England down this path which leads to spiritual and moral bankruptcy. Will you make a donation today so Gafcon can help make the pledges in the Kigali Commitment a reality? The future of the GAFCON movement will prioritize discipleship, evangelism, and mission; raising up the next generation of leaders; youth and childrens ministry; affirming and encouraging womens ministry; demonstrating the compassion of Christ; supporting bishops training; and building the bonds of fellowship and mutual edification. The Anglican Communion has experienced persistent departures from the authority of Gods Word, and warnings from most Anglican primates have been disregarded. It grounds, energises and directs our mission in the world. The countrys elite graced the drawing rooms and city clubs of the powerful and rich who kept the coffers filled. Their actions not only deny holy practice, but reject the authority of Scripture, the teaching of the historic church, and the consensus of the Body of Christ from every tribe, tongue, people and nation alive today.The release of the recent statement Bishops propose prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for Gods blessing of same-sex couples (Find It Here) is a clear rejection of Lambeth 1998, I:10, and cannot help but ask the question: What is next? We continue to find ourselves disillusioned with the incredible audacity of major unilateral decisions (e.g. We will explore fresh ways to encourage each other, to pray for one another and to hold each other accountable in these things. Friday 21 April 2023 On Friday 21 April, the GAFCON IV Conference Statement was released. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! the Apostle warns (1 Corinthians 9:16). Our conference theme for 2023 To Whom Shall We Go? (John 6:68), along with our Bible studies in the Letter to the Colossians, focused our attention on Jesus, the one in whom all the fullness of God dwells in bodily form, the Lord of all creation and the head of his body, the church (Colossians 1:15-19; 2:9). Statement issued by the Archbishop of Uganda at a 10 Feb You bless it, you bought it: The Church of Englands bishops Scholars and bishops from the Theological Resource Group (who produced the pre-Conference book) exchanged ideas via email during the month prior to the Conference. Over the past twenty years, we have seen the hand of God leading us toward a reordering of the Anglican Communion. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The Archbishop of Rwanda, Dr Laurent Mbanda, who is also the vice-chairman of Gafcon, welcomed delegates to Kigali, but, on Tuesday, Dr Beach announced that Dr Mbandas son, Edwin, had died suddenly in the United States. Resetting the Communion is an urgent matter. From the diversity of our different backgrounds and cultures we delighted in our unity in Christ and the love that we share. Over the past 25 years, orthodox Anglicans have met that standard by patiently calling their fellow believers within the Communion to repent and to once again submit to the authority of Scripture. We therefore commit to pray that God will guide this process of resetting, and that Gafcon and GSFA will keep in step with the Spirit. Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans - Wikipedia The Bible is Gods Word written, breathed out by God as it was written by his faithful messengers (2 Timothy 3:16). We also encouraged the Gafcon provinces to become financially self-sufficient, not only to advance mission but also to avoid being vulnerable to economic manipulation. The Kigali Commitment noted that "both GSFA and Gafcon Primates share the view that . Be informed by promoting the Gafcon website, subscriber emails and social media. The GAFCON IV Conference Statement - The Kigali Commitment 2023 - was read this morning. In 2018, the Gafcon Letter to the Churches takes up this hopeful note: The gospel of God creates the church of God. Conference Originally, GAFCON was intended to take place in two parts: a week in Jordan and a week in Jerusalem for the conference. Market data provided by Factset. In his presidential address on Monday evening, the chairman of Gafcon, Dr Foley Beach, said that with broken hearts, we must say that until the Archbishop of Canterbury repents we can no longer recognise him as the first among equals. Church Times 2023. Rod Thomas from the Church of England and myself from the USA and Uganda. Dr Munro described the sense of fellowship at the conference as a taste of heaven. Having stated the goals of the Conference to launch the GAFCON movement as a global fellowship of confessing Anglicans; to publish the Jerusalem Declaration as the basis of the fellowship; and to recognise GAFCON Primates Council the Statement turns to an indictment based onthree facts of the Global Anglican context. Gafcon, like an able prosecutor, is laying out facts on the ground from the life of the Communion that had become apparent over the ten previous years of futility (see Theses 1-7). Media Release - 19 April 2023. We long for this repentance but until they repent, our communion with them remains broken. To explore the Church Times website fully, please sign in or subscribe. "This grieves us, but it is they who have walked away from us," Stead added. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. As we considered the future of our movement we welcomed the following seven priorities articulated by the General Secretary and endorsed by the Gafcon Primates. He owns a dying segment of western Anglicans who will, by any statistical measure no longer exist by 2040. GAFCON: The prophetic indictment: Thesis 8, CoE Ordinands plea for alternative Episcopal oversight, GAFCON: The Declaration of Faith: Thesis 9, Fractures and fractiousness at General Synod. Gafcon was launched. Recognise that fellowship includes financial partnership through participation in Gafcon Sunday and other opportunities for giving. The Anglican churches in Cairo seek to love and care for the many refugees. The Conference Committee did not work on the substance of the Statement prior to the Conference. We pledge ourselves afresh to support and care for one another in a loving and pastorally sensitive way as members of Christs body, building one another up in the Word and in the Spirit, and encouraging each other to experience Gods transforming power as we walk by faith in the path of repentance and obedience that leads to fullness of life. Amen, Calvin Robinson: GAFCON IV the Kigali Commitment, God, not our human fathers, defines the word Father for a Christian, Everyone gets thrown under the bus the General Synod of the Church of England, The Church of England finds Our Father problematic. We affirm that every person is loved by God and we are determined to love as God loves. These include the Episcopal Church (which has 100 dioceses in the U.S. and 12 additional dioceses or jurisdictions spread across 15 countries in Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe); the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil; the Anglican Church of Canada; the Scottish Episcopal Church; the Church in Wales; and the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia. We were delighted to be joined in Kigali by leaders of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) and to host a combined Gafcon-GSFA Primates meeting. These cookies do not store any personal information. Appropriate pastoral care affirms faithfulness in marriage and abstinence in singleness, and its unloving to lead people into error by pretending God blesses sexually active relationships between two people of the same sex. THE fourth gathering of the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) is under way in Kigali, Rwanda, uniting breakaway Anglican leaders and some of those still within the Communion in their rejection of the Archbishop of Canterbury as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion. We will devote ourselves to raising up the next generation of leaders in Gafcon through Bible-based. To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty. In his moral teaching, Paul warns Christians: Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6). Greetings from Kigali, Rwanda, where the fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) met from 17-21 April 2023, bringing together 1,302 delegates from 52 countries, including 315 bishops, 456 other clergy and 531 laity. Participate in the ten Gafcon networks as appropriate. This grieves us, but it is they who have walked away from us.. By joining this global family as a Supporter you demonstrate your commitment to the unchanging truth of Gods written Word and its faithful proclamation around the world. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images). Arising from our conference we encouraged the Primates Council also to prioritise discipleship for boys and men. The Old Testament prophets acted at times as Gods prosecutors in a controversy with the leaders of Israel: Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. Demographically, the average age of an Episcopalian is about 67, though one report has it at 69. GAFCON Media Release - 21 April 2023 - Statement Committee . The Kigali Commitment comes two months after Anglican leaders in the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) rejected the leadership of the archbishop of Canterbury in a scathing letter after the Church of England voted to offer blessings for same-sex couples. We were grateful for the extraordinary hospitality extended by Archbishop Laurent Mbanda and the Anglican Church of Rwanda. But let me offer the following eight take-aways and commentary on the GAFCON Kigali Commitment. In view of the current crisis, we reiterate our support for those who are unable to remain in the Church of England because of the failure of its leadership. We also encouraged the Gafcon provinces to become financially self-sufficient, not only to advance mission but also to avoid being vulnerable to economic manipulation. Details to follow. This Gafcon Sunday (25 June 2023) will mark 15 years of faithfully proclaiming the unchanging word of God to a lost and desperate world. We were grateful for the extraordinary hospitality extended by Archbishop Laurent Mbanda and the Anglican Church of Rwanda. The Current Crisis in the Anglican Communion. With Rachel Mann, Clare Gilbert, Richard Carter, Julia Mourant and Malcolm Guite. This failure of church discipline has been compounded by the current Archbishop of Canterbury who has himself welcomed the provision of liturgical resources to bless these practices contrary to Scripture. An Historic Moment for the Anglican Communion: Key Takeaways from the