Global Orthodox Anglican leaders have officially announced a major restructuring of the Anglican Communion, effectively cutting ties with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the UK-based governing bodies.
The decision comes after years of disagreement over doctrinal issues, including the Church’s stance on same-sex relationships and the ordination of women as bishops. Conservative Anglican provinces across Africa, Asia, and South America are now moving to restore what they consider the original biblical foundations of Anglicanism.
The resolution was issued Friday in Abuja at the conclusion of the Global Anglican Council meeting, which ran from March 3 to March 6. The gathering included 347 bishops and 121 lay and clerical leaders from 27 provinces worldwide.
Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, elected Chair of the new Global Anglican Council, said the move was necessary because the “Canterbury Instruments” have failed to uphold core biblical teachings. The council stated that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lambeth Conference could no longer be considered spiritual anchors for the global faith.
“The moral and spiritual authority of the Seat of Augustine has been severely compromised,” the council’s statement read, criticizing the Church of England for normalizing teachings that contradict Scripture. Leaders emphasized that continued participation in Canterbury-led meetings would suggest acceptance of doctrines they consider inconsistent with the Bible.
Under the new directives, members of the Global Anglican Communion are prohibited from attending future Primates’ Meetings, Lambeth Conferences, and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC). Provinces have also been told to stop financial contributions to the ACC and refuse funding from sources deemed compromised.
The council is encouraging provinces to amend their constitutions to remove references to the See of Canterbury and adopt the Jerusalem Declaration as the sole confessional standard. The Gafcon Primates Council has been replaced by the Global Anglican Council, which will now oversee the establishment of new provinces and safeguard doctrinal integrity.
Archbishop Mbanda will lead the council alongside Deputy Chair Archbishop Miguel Uchôa and General Secretary Bishop Paul Donison. The council stressed that this is not a “breakaway” movement but a historic reordering of the Anglican Communion from within, calling on all faithful Anglicans to unite under the new confessional framework.
The Church of Nigeria, led by Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, has already formally severed ties with the Church of England, labeling its current leadership as “insensitive and devastating” to orthodox Anglican faith.
