Abuja 2026: A Turning Point for Global Anglicanism — The Pastors Heart
Here’s the first of Dominic Steele’s reports from Abuja in Nigeria –
“Dominic Steele reports from Abuja, Nigeria, as nearly 500 Anglican leaders gather for GAFCON 2026 in what many believe could prove a decisive moment in the reshaping of the Anglican Communion. Delegates have arrived from across Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australasia, despite significant travel disruption caused by the US–Iran conflict and Middle Eastern airspace closures. For many Australians, flights were cancelled only hours before departure.
This preview episode of The Pastor’s Heart sets out what is expected in the coming days: proposals for the structure and operation of a new Global Anglican Communion, distinct from Canterbury.
The story stretches back through the Jerusalem Declaration of 2008 and the strong Kigali statement of 2023, in which leaders representing the majority of the Communion expressed no confidence in the existing Instruments of Communion. This week, foundations for a renewed and confessionally orthodox global fellowship are anticipated to be agreed.Steele outlines the program for the week, including plenary sessions, presentations and votes on doctrine, fellowship and leadership structures. Particular attention will be given to the biblical basis of communion, the failures of current Canterbury-centred mechanisms and how future alignment will be defined. Questions around governance, canonical relationships and financial partnerships are also expected to be addressed.
Over the next five days, The Pastor’s Heart will release daily 30-minute reports with interviews from primates and key leaders, alongside full-length conversations on YouTube. Coverage is brought in partnership with Anglican Aid. This episode provides essential background to what may become a defining chapter in modern Anglican history.”
Please do uphold this key gathering in your prayers.
Some are still travelling, affected by global travel disruptions due to events surrounding Iran. Please pray for safety in travel.
The Opportunity of a New Reformation
“Right now, an opportunity for a new mission-shaped reformation lies before us if we can rise to the challenge. While it is true that many Anglican church leaders in the West have turned from Scripture to follow the spirit of this age, the majority of the world’s Anglican leaders trust the gospel the missionaries first brought as the only true gospel, and want to continue in it. They know that this gospel, upon which our church was founded, is the only gospel that saves.
From these leaders the Gafcon movement has arisen …”
– Anglican Aid’s Canon Tim Swan writes about the challenges and opportunities of a Global Anglican Communion, with a focus on this month’s Abuja G26 conference. At SydneyAnglicans.net.
G26 Preparations at St Matthias House Abuja
Thanksgiving and prayer request from Gafcon:
“We thank God as the final physical preparations continue for the G26 Conference beginning this weekend. Within Abuja, plans are coming together to welcome bishops, clergy, and lay leaders gathering to seek the Lord’s wisdom for the future of our Anglican Communion.
We praise God for the excellent progress at St Matthias House, where significant renovations are helping provide an ideal setting for this historic gathering. We also give thanks for the warm and generous hospitality of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), whose faithful service is making this conference possible.
Pray for wisdom, strength, and unity for all involved in logistics, construction, transport, and hospitality, that every preparation may serve the gospel and enable fruitful fellowship.”
G26: A Kairos Moment for the Global Anglican Communion — the global Anglican Church re-ordered
From Bishop Paul Donison, Gafcon General Secretary –
“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are delighted to share a new four-minute video calling the global Gafcon family to G26 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Martyrs’ Day Statement from October last year was a prophetic moment announcing, ‘the future has arrived.’
And now is the moment to gather together under the Word of God, to prayerfully discern what the Lord’s future for us looks like as we reorder our beloved Communion.
G26 will not be merely a series of speeches, but a truly conciliar, confessional, and collaborative council — a global Anglican family seeking deeper unity in the truth of the gospel.
Please watch the video, share it widely in your churches, and join us in praying for humility, courage, and clarity.
And if you are able, please consider giving generously to support those who are financially unable to attend through the G26 Bursary Fund: www.gafcon.org/G26Bursary.
Please continue to pray for G26, for those preparing to gather, and for the Lord’s wisdom and courage as we seek to walk faithfully together.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt Revd Paul Donison
Gafcon General Secretary
Thursday, February 19, 2026.”
– Source: Gafcon.
The video would be helpful to share with your church / home groups etc. to explain what G26 is about, and to ask for prayer.
G26 Travel Arrangements
A Gafcon prayer request from a couple of days ago –
“Today we pray for the many complex travel arrangements being made for the G26 Conference in Abuja, Nigeria. With just weeks to go, hundreds of delegates are booking flights, applying for visas, arranging accommodation, and finalising countless logistical details. Pray for smooth itineraries, affordable fares, timely visa approvals, and protection in every stage of the journey.
We remember especially those travelling long distances from across Africa, South America, Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. Pray that no financial, administrative, or unexpected obstacle would prevent those invited to attend from gathering with us.
May the Lord grant safety in transit, unity in purpose, and joy as we gather authentic Anglicans — guarding God’s gospel and generating missional resources for the glory of God.”
– The G26 Conference is planned for 3-6 March, in Abuja.
The Pastor’s Heart will be there:
“Can you please help fund our coverage of the first gathering of the GLOBAL ANGLICAN COMMUNION.
We’re planning a series of daily broadcasts from ABUJA NIGERIA for the first week in March, as the faithful bishops gather to move away from Apostasy, Colonialism and Canterbury to a faithfulness to Jesus Christ. We will be there with the full coverage.”
The Rights and Wrongs of Rights
“Dear Friends, Monday night was a tumultuous evening at the Cathedral and I thank God for the hundred or so who attended Evening Prayer, despite the thousands outside. I am thankful for those who attended to site security and those who ensured the PA was loud enough to hear the Bible readings and prayers, despite the cacophony.
I am sorry to those who could not find a way through the crowds but I am grateful to God we were all able to get away safely, even though only one exit remained passable with all other exits effectively blocked.
Sadly almost 1500 school students missed out on their co-curriculaar activities that afternoon, such as music lessons, or sports training, or drama classes. And I think the Red Cross Donor Centre lost upwards of 30 lifesaving blood donations as a result of people cancelling or being unable to walk in because of the protest. …”
– In the current Cathedral Newsletter, Dean of St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sandy Grant recognises other people’s freedom of speech and assembly but speaks out for all who have been told to “stay away”.
(Image from the Cathedral Newsletter.)
Prayers of blessing STILL commended in the Church of England
From Anglican Futures –
“Don’t believe everything you read in the papers.
The Church of England has not “abandoned proposals to deliver blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in churches.” If only that were true.
What has happened is much more subtle and much more ‘English’. …”
– Read here.
Richard Johnson: The first chaplain of New South Wales
From Moore College’s Moore in the Word podcast –
“In this episode and in honour of Moore Theological College’s 170th anniversary, we bring you a special episode taken from the 2025 Donald Robinson Library lectures on the topic of ‘The Clapham Sect and their influence on Sydney’.
Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore Theological College, introduces us to Richard Johnson and the story of how he ended up becoming the first chaplain to the fledgling colony in New South Wales, laying the spiritual foundations of Christian witness. Drawing on personal letters and historical records, Mark traces Johnson’s courage, hardship and lasting legacy in shaping gospel ministry in early Australia.”
– Listen here – or on the Moore in the Word page.
If you would prefer watch, rather than just listen, you can watch all eight talks from the Library lectures at this playlist.
From Canterbury to Abuja – with Paul Donison and Jodie McNeill
From The Pastor’s Heart this week –
“We’re just three weeks away from what may prove to be one of the most significant gatherings of Anglican leaders in a generation — as bishops, clergy and lay representatives from across the world meet in Abuja to chart the future of global Anglicanism.
We preview the conference being led by Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON), and explore how its proposed ‘reordering’ of the Anglican Communion compares with the approach of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans.
With the centre of Anglican Christianity now firmly in the majority world, the conference in Abjua, Nigeria brings together a broad representative cross-section of the global church.
Our guests are Paul Donison, General Secretary of the GAFCON movement, and Gafcon Operations Manager Jodie McNeill, who is helping coordinate the gathering.”
“How to reconcile a fractious Anglican Church”
From The Religion and Ethics Report at ABC Radio –
“The world’s 85 million Anglicans have a new spiritual leader, as Dame Sarah Mullally officially begins her term as Archbishop of Canterbury.
She’s first woman to hold the position.
But her historic appointment has highlighted divisions in the Anglican world, including in Australia, where some conservatives have rejected her leadership.
GUEST: Bishop Mark Short of the Canberra-Goulburn diocese is the new primate of the Anglican Church of Australia. It’s his job to try to reconcile a fractious church.”
– Listen here.
CEEC’s National Director resigns as Honorary Canon over Prayers of Love and Faith
News from The Church of England Evangelical Council –
“Reverend John Dunnett, National Director, Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) and chair of the Chelmsford Diocesan Evangelical Network (CDEN) has resigned his title of Honorary Canon in response to the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith at Chelmsford Cathedral.
Chelmsford Cathedral used the controversial Prayers of Love and Faith for the first time in a Sunday service on 16 November 2025. …”
– Read here.
Related:
Chelmsford Cathedral to Introduce “Prayers of Love and Faith” for same-sex couples –
“The prayers will be offered as part of the cathedral’s worship life, reflecting its commitment to pastoral inclusivity and spiritual support. …”
New federal hate speech laws- impact on religious freedom?
Associate Professor Neil Foster shares his opinion on the ‘“Hate Speech” laws –
“After the dreadful terrorist incident at Bondi on December 14 2025, where 15 folk from the Jewish community were murdered, the Federal government has introduced new ‘hate speech’ laws at the national level.
Whenever there is a proposal to target ‘hate speech’ there is always a potential danger that unpopular religious views will be caught up in the ban. However, it seems that the recently enacted changes will have little impact on religious freedom in Australia, except where religion is offered as a reason to justify calls for violence against others.
In this post I will try to spell out what the changes are, and why they seem to be a reasonable response to the danger of terrorist violence. …”
He does note that, “Perhaps surprisingly there is no clear definition of ‘hate group’ provided in the amendments.”
– Read it all at Law and Religion Australia.
New CEO for Bible Society Australia
“Bible Society Australia (BSA) has appointed long-serving mission leader, Chris Melville, as its new Chief Executive Officer …
Mr Melville has been serving as Interim CEO for the past six months and previously held the role of Chief of Mission, where he oversaw BSA’s domestic and international mission work. …”
– News and photo via John Sandeman at The Other Cheek.
Will the new Archbishop of Canterbury be any different?
“The election of the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury will be confirmed at St Paul’s Cathedral on the 28th January.
She inherits a Church and a Communion in crisis.
It is profoundly regrettable that the lack of decisiveness of Mullally’s predecessors will now become her problem. The failure to deal with progressive teaching at home and abroad, and the fallout that comes from decades of prioritising the reputation of the institution over and above the needs of victims of abuse, means Sarah Mullally has a very full inbox. …”
– Sadly, the writer of this opinion piece at Anglican Futures does not have high expectations.
The faith of our fathers and my hope for Australia
Andrew Hastie, Federal Member for Canning in Western Australia, shares this thoughts for Australia Day.
Regardless of one’s political persuasion, this is worth reading. It’s also worth contemplating how we might gently point people to true hope in Christ, in whatever realm of life we find ourselves.
And it’s also a reminder to pray for members of Parliament.
“Let me share a memory that gives me hope for my country, from the Sydney suburb of Ashfield, where I saw my father weave together a people from vastly different ethnic groups. And I will offer my thoughts on the kind of politics that will let us repair a fraying nation.
This hope is a gift from my father. At Bondi Beach in 2025, we saw how one man’s hatred was passed to his son. Decades earlier, in Ashfield, my father passed to me his love for others as he faithfully served his church community. His example is why I do not despair for our country and our future. …”
Photo: The front doors of Ashfield Presbyterian Church.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…