from Anglican Futures
Yesterday, Gafcon announced that, despite previous suggestions, they would not be electing a new primus inter pares to lead the majority of the world’s Anglicans. Instead, the Most Revd Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, was elected to chair the newly formed Global Anglican Council, which will in turn lead the Global Anglican Communion.
The initial response was muted. Many feared that once again orthodox Anglicans had been marched to the top of the hill, only to be marched back down again, (this is a reference to the ‘Grand Old Duke of York‘, for readers not familiar with English nursery rhymes). It seemed that Gafcon’s bark was worse than their bite and that the Archbishop of Canterbury had little to fear.
On reflection, this may not have been a fair analysis. It would appear that Gafcon are wrestling with the inherent Englishness of the Anglican expression of Christianity. That being an expression which relies less on the Roman code and papal decrees and more on good chaps (and chapesses) doing the right thing under the authority of Christ and His word alone. This means a Church where a quiet word should prevent disorder and the legal processes are the place of last resort.
Gafcon are very clear they are “reordering” the Anglican Communion. It is not a breakaway or even a takeover, as there is nothing to ‘take over’. The Anglican Communion is, at heart, merely a set relationships between provinces, and between dioceses within provinces. It is in the diocese and province that episcopal and archepiscopal jurisdiction plays out, not the Communion.
As Gafcon look to the future they have perhaps unsuprisingly chosen a very ‘English’ approach. Gone is the quasi-papal figurehead, the ‘first among equals’, to whom all are meant to look for spiritual wisdom and functional leadership.