More than 1,100 conservative Anglican bishops and laypersons met in Jerusalem last week and released a statement on Sunday outlining the group’s reasons for forming their own communion within the Anglican Church.
The Global Anglican Futures statement, released at the closing of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), stated that the Anglican church, which has historically fallen under the leadership of the Bishop of Canterbury, has failed to decisively affirm biblical truths and to discipline churches who propagate false doctrines.
Referring to the Episcopal Church USA’s ordination of homosexual ministers and the Anglican Church of Canada blessing gay marriages, the group said the global Anglican Church leaderships’ failure to discipline the sects have “torn the fabric of the Communion in such a way that it cannot simply be patched back together.”
GAFCON leaders maintain their goal is not to split from the global Anglican Church but insist they must break from the North American branches in order to uncompromisingly stand for biblical truth.
“It is our hope that this statement on the Global Anglican future will be received with comfort and joy by many Anglicans around the world who have been distressed about the direction of the Communion,” stated the manifesto, which was supported by 291 bishops representing 35 million members. “We believe the Anglican Communion should and will be reformed around the biblical gospel and mandate to go into all the world and present Christ to the nations.”
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