Gafcon Prayer Update: GFCA Trustees
Gafcon Prayer Update from a couple of days ago –
“Please give thanks to God for the faithful ministry of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GFCA) Trustees, whose governance and oversight provide the practical foundation that supports the life and work of the Global Anglican Communion. Give thanks for Bishop John Guernsey, the Trustees Chair, and Dr Laurie Scandrett, the Honorary Treasurer, as they provide wise and faithful leadership.
Pray for the Trustees serving from Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Rwanda, the United Kingdom and the United States. Pray that God will grant them wisdom, integrity and unity as they steward the resources entrusted to this global movement and exercise careful oversight of its ministry.
Please pray especially for the Trustees as preparations continue for GAFCON V in Athens in April 2028. Ask God to give them wisdom and discernment as they oversee the many financial and governance decisions already being made, provide every resource that is needed, and establish this significant gathering for the strengthening of his Church and the advance of the gospel.”
– A reminder that Gafcon Prayer updates can be found on their website – and if you use the free PrayerMate app on your phone, you can subscribe to their prayer feed.
Photo: Gafcon.
In Defense of the Abuja Affirmation
Writing in Covenant, the online journal of the American publication The Living Church, Bishop Glenn Davies responds to an article by the Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver about the Abuja Affirmation –
“I am grateful for the irenic article that the Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver published on Covenant on April 13, 2026, where he engages theologically with the Abuja Affirmation.
As a participant in the G26 Assembly in Abuja in March, I have a good idea of what was achieved in that extraordinary gathering, which was a celebration of the Global Anglican Communion launched by the Gafcon primates on October 16, 2025.
The heart of the issue that Gafcon has been addressing since its 2008 inaugural assembly in Jerusalem is the authority of Scripture in its plain, canonical sense. …”
– Glenn’s response is an important setting out of why Gafcon / The Global Anglican Communion is needed.
It is worthy of careful study.
________________
Related: (each will open in a new window)
The Kuala Lumpur Statement, 1997.
GAFCON Final Statement and the Jerusalem Declaration – 29 June 2008.
The Jerusalem Declaration – as a PDF file – formatted to two A4 pages.
The Abuja Affirmation – 2026.
A short video and prayer for Gafcon Sunday
If your church observes Gafcon Sunday tomorrow, this video and the notes below from Gafcon might be of use –
“Around the world, biblically faithful Anglicans like you are praying and giving to support the ministry and mission of the Global Anglican Communion. We invite you to join our General Secretary, Bishop Paul Donison, in praying the GAFCON collect today.
Around the world today, parishes like yours will be ministering in Word and Sacrament, and GAFCON Sunday is a great time for us to reflect on what the Lord is doing in His global Church.
Thank you for standing with us! Thank you for praying for the work of the Global Anglican Communion, and for your partnership with GAFCON. None of this would be possible without the faithful stewardship of generous partners like you.
So today, please
Pray — Lift the Global Anglican Communion before the Lord. Pray for our archbishops, bishops, clergy, and lay leaders — especially those in hostile and dangerous contexts who pay a real price for their faithfulness.
Share — Mention GAFCON Sunday from the pulpit or in your small group. Post about it. The breadth of this fellowship is its strength.
Give — Make a generous gift today. As Paul writes, “God loves a cheerful giver” — and there is much reason for joy in what your gift makes possible (2 Corinthians 9:7).
We are grateful for every prayer offered and every gift given.”
This Sunday is Gafcon Sunday
Archbishop Miguel Uchoa, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Brazil and Vice-Chairman of the Global Anglican Council, shares why GAFCON Sunday matters and why you should partner with us in prayer and with your most generous gift today.
From Gafcon:
“What began as a conference became a movement, and, by God’s grace, is now the home for biblically faithful Anglicans around the world.
The Global Anglican Communion announced at G26 in Abuja early this year is not a new communion, but the same Anglican Communion now reordered with leadership that is both biblically faithful and truly global.
And GAFCON Sunday is your opportunity to give generously to this work that is impacting millions around the world.
You are supporting our work in:
Theological education for the next generation of orthodox clergy and bishops, many in contexts where sound training is scarce or actively opposed.
Frontline mission among the unreached — including partnerships across the world, including in the Middle East region, and the re-evangelization of Europe.
Relational infrastructure that holds together our provinces across cultural, linguistic, and national divides — bound not by institutional power but by a shared confession of the Jerusalem Declaration.
Global Gatherings like our upcoming G27 prayer conference for laity in Brazil, and our next major assembly in Athens in 2028 for GAFCON V.
None of this happens without faithful, generous partners like you.
Three Ways to Participate on 28 June 2026
Pray — Lift the Global Anglican Communion before the Lord. Pray for our archbishops, bishops, clergy, and lay leaders — especially those in hostile and dangerous contexts who pay a real price for their faithfulness.
Share — Forward this email. Mention GAFCON Sunday from the pulpit or in your small group. Post about it. The breadth of this fellowship is its strength.
Give — Make a generous gift before or on June 28. As Paul writes, “God loves a cheerful giver” — and there is much reason for joy in what your gift makes possible (2 Corinthians 9:7).
We are grateful for every prayer offered and every gift given. You are not a donor at a distance — you are a participant in something the Lord is doing across the earth. Thank you for your partnership.”
Links:
GAFCON Sunday – 28 June 2026
News from Gafcon –
“At Abuja this past March, 347 Anglican bishops, 121 lay and clerical leaders from 27 provinces gathered under the Word of God — to confer, to celebrate, and to reaffirm that the Global Anglican Communion is founded on the person and work of Jesus Christ and the authority of his word.
GAFCON Sunday, 28 June 2026, is an opportunity to stand with us — to pray and give generously as we work to keep the Bible at the heart of a truly Global Anglican Communion.
Bishop John Guernsey, Chair of the GAFCON Trustees, shares a word about this moment and what your participation means.
More voices are coming soon — including messages from our Global Anglican Council Chairman, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, our General Secretary Bishop Paul Donison, and others.
Three Ways to Participate on 28 June 2026:
Pray — Join believers around the world in lifting up the Global Anglican Communion. Pray for our Archbishops, Bishops, clergy, congregations, especially those in hostile contexts.
Share — Tell your diocese, congregation, small group, and network about GAFCON Sunday. The strength of this movement is the breadth of its fellowship.
Give — Make a generous gift to support the ministry of GAFCON. Every dollar given sustains faithful Anglican witness — in theological education, frontline mission, and the next generation of orthodox leaders.
There is much work to do as we support the tens of millions of biblically faithful Anglicans around the world. We need your help. So please give, give generously, and give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).”
Analysis: The Abuja “Contradiction” That Isn’t
We didn’t link to the article by Jay Thomas at First Things yesterday, it didn’t seem profitable. However, if you happen to have read it, George Conger at Anglican Ink has published a very clear and helpful rebuttal.
“Jay Thomas’s recent First Things essay ‘Anglicans and the Abuja Contradiction’ purports to expose fatal logical flaws in GAFCON’s Jerusalem Declaration.
In reality, it reveals something far more interesting: how easily appeals to ‘Anglican tradition’ can mask fundamentally un-Anglican premises. Thomas’s argument doesn’t just fail—it fails instructively, demonstrating precisely why orthodox Anglicans found GAFCON necessary in the first place.
Thomas’s thesis is straightforward: GAFCON stands guilty of rank hypocrisy.…”
– Read George’s response here.
Related:
Photo: G26 at Abuja, via SydneyAnglicans.net.
The Dawn has broken
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
There is an African Proverb that says, “However, long the night, the dawn will break.”
On this glorious day, Christians across every tongue, tribe, and nation gather together to proclaim the most world-changing truth in all of human history: the tomb is empty, death is defeated, and Jesus Christ reigns as Lord.
Easter is not just a symbol or a season. It is a fact — the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the first-fruits of a new creation.
Because He lives, we live. Because He has conquered sin and death, there is no corner of this earth, no depth of suffering, no weight of grief that stands beyond the reach of His resurrection power and endless love.
To our brothers and sisters around the world — in seasons of joy and in seasons of persecution — we say with one voice: Hold fast in the hope of the resurrection. The risen Christ holds you, He sees you, and He hears your prayers.
He who walked out of the grave on the third day is the same Lord who walks with you today. And as we joyfully proclaim every week in our services, Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.
This Easter, may the living hope of the resurrection fill your hearts, strengthen your faith, and send you out as witnesses to the world that Jesus Christ is alive — and that His Kingdom shall have no end.
Let us pray together:
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may, by your life-giving Spirit, be delivered from sin and raised from death; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Grace and peace,
The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda
Chairman of the Global Anglican Council
Easter Day, 5th April, 2026
Global Anglican Council official list
From John Sandeman at The Other Cheek –
“The official list of the Global Anglican Council, set up to lead in a reset Anglican Communion, was released by the Gafcon General Secretary, Paul Donison, overnight. It differs from the list published by The Other Cheek recently – which included people who are likely to join the council but have not yet. The Other Cheek apologises for this error.
It includes …”
Photo: Image: In the livestream from the Advent Cable Network Nigeria, Gafcon General Secretary Paul Denison announces the Global Anglican Council.
Explainer: Anglican re-ordering and Gafcon in Abuja
From SydneyAnglicans.net, a very helpful article to read and share –
“In early March 2026, headlines lit up around the world about the re-ordering of what’s known as the Anglican Communion – the grouping of Anglican churches around the world which emerged from the English missionary efforts of the 18th and 19th centuries and later.
The Global Anglican Future Conference, which has drawn together the majority of the largest churches in the communion, held a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria.
Here are the answers to some key questions …”
These are the questions asked and answered –
What happened in Abuja?
What are the issues?
What does this mean for my local parish?
I’m concerned about talk of schism and division – why can’t we all just get along?
What happens to the Archbishop of Canterbury?
What does this mean for Sydney Anglicans and the Archbishop of Canterbury?
What does this mean for Sydney Anglicans and the Anglican Church of Australia?
The Global Anglican Communion, Abuja and the Australian Anglican Church — with Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“What does the reordering of the Anglican Communion actually mean for Christians in the Australian Church?
Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel on what it means for Anglican churches, clergy and church members in Australia.
We explore what ‘principled disengagement’ from the Canterbury Instruments will mean for Australian leaders and other Global Anglican Communion leaders.
Plus an update on implementing the Sydney Diocean goal of seeing five percent saved through conversion growth each year.
And Archbishop Raffel responds to criticism over his comments on Pauline Hanson, ‘We must reject hateful words and threats of violence.’”
A video report on the Global Anglican Communion to play in church on Sunday
From The Pastor’s Heart, here’s a video report on the Global Anglican Communion you could play in church on Sunday – with a bit of explanation beforehand as to what it’s all about.
– Watch here.
Laurent Mbanda: First extended interview with Chairman of the new Global Anglican Council
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“In this special episode of The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele speaks with Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda, newly appointed chair of the council guiding newly inaugurated the Global Anglican Communion.
Speaking from Abuja, Nigeria, just days after the historic gathering that launched the new communion,
Archbishop Mbanda reflects on the extraordinary journey that brought him from displacement and poverty to global church leadership.
He shares the emotion and conviction behind the moment — why many Anglicans believe a new structure was necessary, why unity must be theological rather than geographical, and why the authority of Scripture remains central
Archbishop Mbanda also responds to narratives circulating in the media — that the new movement is about women bishops or opposition to LGBT people — arguing instead that the central issue is the authority of Scripture and faithfulness to biblical teaching.
Along the way, Mbanda warmly commends Vaughan Roberts’ Lausanne Conference address and new book Full of Grace and Truth, urging churches to hold together biblical conviction and Christ-like grace in their response to questions of sexuality.
This episode is brought to you by Anglican Aid.”
– Terrific interview – well worth watching. Watch here.
Plus, here’s the video of Vaughan Roberts mentioned above:
Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve — Gafcon Prayer Update
“At the historic Gafcon Global G26 Conference in Abuja, leaders from across the world gathered to seek the Lord’s guidance for the future of the Global Anglican Communion. The Abuja Affirmation begins with the words of Joshua: ‘Choose this day whom you will serve.’
We thank God for the clarity and conviction shown by faithful Anglicans who gathered in Abuja to reaffirm their commitment to serve the Lord Jesus Christ above all else.
Please pray that churches across the Global Anglican Communion will continue to choose the Lord each day. Pray that bishops, clergy, and lay leaders will stand firm in their devotion to Christ, leading their churches with courage, humility, and faithfulness as they proclaim the gospel in every nation.”
– Source: Gafcon.
Archbishop of Sydney’s Statement on The Abuja Affirmation, Nigeria, 2026
Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel has released this statement –
Archbishop’s Statement on The Abuja Affirmation, Nigeria, 2026
I have been enormously encouraged by the breadth and vitality of global Anglicanism displayed at the ‘G26’ meeting in Abuja Nigeria and I wholeheartedly welcome the shared commitment of majority-world Anglican provinces to accept the stewardship of the Anglican Communion.
The Abuja Affirmation charts a path forward for global Anglicans faithful to the Lord and his mission and committed to the primacy, sufficiency and trustworthiness of God’s word.
Recognising that our existing structures have failed to uphold Anglican doctrine and discipline, the task of re-ordering the Communion around the Scriptures, begun in Jerusalem in 2008, continues with the formation of the Global Anglican Council.
True to our history, the Council brings together every part of the Church – clergy and laity alongside bishops and senior advisors. We share this stewardship, and we go forward together in prayerful dependence on the Lord.
The Global Anglican Communion is determined to focus on the building of Christ’s church, rather than managing cultural capitulation or accommodating unbiblical beliefs.
I invite all Anglicans, in our own diocese and across the world, to reflect on the landmark Abuja Affirmation, produced by delegates through the collaborative process that has long characterised Gafcon gatherings.
As the statement declares: “At Abuja, we rejoiced in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ – the good news that God, in his great love for sinners, gave his Son so that, through his death and resurrection, sinners might be forgiven and adopted through the Spirit and live as God’s beloved children forever. Without this gospel, the Church dies.”
This gospel is our precious and powerful message, our task for the future, and our one hope.
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
8 March 2026.
Source: SydneyAnglicans.net. (PDF file.)
Image: Archbishop Kanishka Raffel interviewed in Abuja by The Pastor’s Heart.
A new day! Round the world reaction to the ‘Global Anglican Communion’
From The Pastor’s Heart, very helpful and encouraging responses to what is happening with the re-ordering of the Anglican Communion –
“The announcement of the new Global Anglican Communion has triggered an extraordinary wave of reaction from evangelical Anglican leaders gathered in Abuja this week. For many delegates, the moment was deeply emotional. One leader described it as “the privilege of crossing the river and entering the promised land,” capturing the sense that years of theological tension and debate have now led to a decisive new chapter for Anglicans committed to the authority of Scripture.
Inside the conference hall the mood was striking. As the news settled in, African bishops began dancing in praise on the platform and in the aisles — a spontaneous expression of joy and thanksgiving to God. The atmosphere was markedly different from the gathering three years ago in Kigali, where the tone was sombre and reflective as leaders lamented the direction of parts of the Anglican world. In Abuja the feeling was relief, gratitude and renewed confidence about the future.
In this special episode of The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele brings together reactions from senior Anglican leaders across the global church following the release of the Abuja statement and the establishment of the new Global Anglican Council.
Reactions from
Michael Stead, Julian Dobbs, Alfred Olwa, Emmanuel Egbunu, Vaughan Roberts, John Dunnett, Glenn Davies, Darryl Parker and Richard Condie
as they respond to what this moment means for their provinces and for the global Anglican movement. The discussion was recorded for Advent Cable Network Nigeria, where host Promise Njoko-Adebe invited Dominic to co-host.
We start with the personal reaction of Miguel Uchoa, Primate of the Anglican Church in Brazil.”
– Do watch here – or direct on YouTube.
And, for important context, see
The Abuja Affirmation – 06 March 2026
A Council to Lead the Communion – 05 March 2026
The Future Has Arrived – Martyrs’ Day Statement – 16 October 2025
The Jerusalem Declaration – 29 June 2008.
and some historical background:
Global Anglican Future Conference planned – December 2007.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…