In his July pastoral letter to GAFCON members, who make up more than 70 percent of the Anglican Communion, the Nigerian primate, whose province claims more than 20 million active Anglicans, said that what is tragic is not just the divisions within the Anglican Communion, but that souls are at stake. Lives are at stake. Eternity is at stake. "It reminds me of what the prophet Isaiah said to the people of his day: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."(Is.5:20, ESV).

"This is the challenge of the Anglican Communion today. The message of the Bible is being turned upside down by those for whom 'my God' means the God I want. Last month the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) voted by large majorities to change its marriage canon to permit same sex 'marriages' but Primus David Chillingworth said he had received assurances from the Archbishop of Canterbury that the SEC would still be invited to the proposed Lambeth Conference in 2020. Despite the hopes that we had for progress earlier this year, it is clear that the proposed Lambeth Conference seems set to repeat the mistakes of 2008."

The Nigerian primate did say that the new Archbishop of Kenya is a member of GAFCON, succeeding Eliud Wabukala. "I had a meeting with him after the enthronement service at which he was very warmly welcomed into the GAFCON family." He also indicated that both the newly appointed Archbishop of Burundi, The Most Rev'd Martin Blaise Nyaboho and the new Primate of the Anglican Province of the Congo, Masimango Katanda, elected as the next Primate and Archbishop of the Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo -- the Anglican Church of Congo who will succeed Archbishop Henri Isingoma.

"In two years' time, Anglican leaders from around the world will gather in Jerusalem for our third Global Anglican Future Conference, GAFCON 2018. Blessed indeed were those who believed as the Holy Spirit was poured out in that place on the first Pentecost and may the Lord grant us in our time a season of refreshing before we are sent out again to bear witness to the Risen Christ.

"If we are to bear true witness, we must have the same total and loving submission to Jesus as Lord as did Thomas. For him, the word 'my' means he gives his total allegiance. He is possessed by Jesus Christ. Our struggle in the Anglican Communion today comes about because of those who turn Thomas's words upside down. By 'my' they mean a Jesus who they possess, a Jesus and a Lord who fits with their desires and agrees with what they want as they go with the flow of secular culture."

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