Welby is no longer Primus inter pares; first among equals. He is no longer the leader of 75 million Anglicans. He owns a dying segment of western Anglicans who will, by any statistical measure no longer exist by 2040.
Read more"The Instruments of Communion have failed to maintain true communion based on the Word of God and shared faith in Christ"; the "leadership role" in the Anglican Communion of the Archbishop of Canterbury has been rendered "indefensible" by the failure of "successive" Archbishops of Canterbury "to guard the faith" by exercising appropriate discipline "compounded by" Justin Welby's "welcoming the provision of liturgical resources to bless practices contrary to Scripture," said the statement.
Read moreWhy is the Australian presence so dominant? Why is there an excessive white presence when GAFCON and GSFA is predominantly African and Black. One wag observed, perhaps we should call it; Global Australian Fellowship of Churches. The choices were considered "strategic."
Read more"The world only sees the negative stuff, the politics, the walking away from the Bible. [But] this conference is about the word going out," Richard Borgonon, Founder of The Word One to One, told 1300 delegates to GAFCON IV.
"What you do in [church] the outside world of today thinks is utterly weird. And worse, they now think that you are the politically unacceptable. You're the politically incorrect," he said.
Read moreVOL: Do you see a resolution over the differences between GAFCON and the Global South (GSFA) bishops?
Read moreTo be a member of the Anglican Communion is to confess the faith of its founders. Loyalty to the truth of the Gospel takes priority over institutional or historical loyalty, however robust, he said.
"While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury."
Read more"However, if realistic and visionary ways cannot be agreed to meet the levels of disagreement at present or to reach consensus on structures for encouraging greater understanding and communion in future it is doubtful if the Anglican Communion can continue in its present form."
"Should the call to halt and find ways of continuing in our present communion not be heeded, then we shall have to begin to learn to walk apart."
Read moreHe said Jesus gave clear warnings that some would turn away and that trouble and persecution would come, but he added, "take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mt.28:20).
Read moreHis speech brought applause several times from the assembled delegates. Archbishop Beach observed that since the last GAFCON meeting in Jerusalem it had been a difficult time with Covid-19 shutting down ministries with "many facing persecution, famine and drought, flooding, war and civil unrest" prompting him to wonder if GAFCON would survive.
Read moreGAFCON is overwhelmingly African, (black) exuberant, youthful and the future face of Anglicanism. The largest delegations are from Nigeria, Uganda and North America (including Mexico and Canada). All of the members of the GAFCON Primates' Council will be attending, and most of the Primates of the Global South Fellowship of Churches will be in attendance, VOL was told.
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