What now for orthodox Anglicans?
by Julian Mann, Christian Today:
The GAFCON conference in Kigali, Rwanda, takes place amidst some division among the forces of biblical orthodoxy in the global Anglican Communion.
That reality was already evident at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops worldwide last summer. Leaders of the orthodox Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) from 25 provinces (autonomous national or multi-national jurisdictions) attended Lambeth seeking to be a “faithful remnant” while the GAFCON archbishops and bishops stayed away.
But on Sunday April 16, as the 1,300 GAFCON delegates were arriving in Kigali, the US website Anglican Ink published a highly revealing statement by the GSFA’s ex-press officer.
The Rev Paul Eddy, a Church of England vicar with a background in public relations, acted as the GSFA’s press contact at Lambeth.
Eddy revealed that he “resigned as PR consultant to the GSFA” because its leading archbishops (primates in Anglican parlance) insisted on putting out their own statement denouncing the Church of England General Synod’s vote for same-sex blessings in February, rather than a joint statement with GAFCON.
He wrote, “My professional advice was for two reasons: that there be no division or difference in approach between the GSFA and GAFCON which the liberals could expose and, a joint statement, once you create the precedent, would ensure a collegiate and united response…Sadly the GSFA put out their own Statement and not a joint one.”
Eddy summed up the difference “in a nutshell” between orthodox Anglican Communion remainers in GSFA countries like Sudan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Egypt, and the GAFCON leavers (in practice if not officially) in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda:
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