What is GAFCON in reality? A new alignment, a pressure group, or the beginnings of a breakaway church? What will happen as a result? Is there going to be a split? Are we about to witness the end of the Anglican Communion?
These are the questions that the journalists keep asking at the daily press briefings, held in the somehow appropriately named ‘Delilah Lounge’ at the Renaissance Hotel. The paradigm of political conflict and power struggle seems to dominate the secular media’s approach to what is happening (although I haven’t been able to read any of the resulting reports or stories as yet).
A succession of spokesmen have sought to clarify and explain. Jack Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth, Texas, answered the ‘split’ question by saying that there had already been a split in one sense: the fabric of the Anglican communion has already been torn by the actions of the liberal bishops—by those who consecrated Gene Robinson in 2003, but also by Bishop Michael Ingham in New Westminster, Canada, who has led the charge for same-sex unions, and is now attacking those biblically orthodox churches who cannot in good conscience accept his leadership. (One of the Canadian ministers at GAFCON told me that when he returns to his parish after the conference, he will be a trespasser on his own church property, according to Bishop Ingham. JI Packer faces the same.)
Bishop Iker has a point. When 300 bishops, representing over half of the world’s Anglicans, refuse to attend one of the Anglican ‘instruments of unity’ (the Lambeth Conference), it’s hard to pretend that there is a functioning ‘communion’ between Anglican churches and dioceses. Something has already happened, and there is little prospect of the breach being healed, especially since the actions of the revisionists stem from deeply held principles.
Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya put it positively, and expressed his desire for what GAFCON could achieve:
The Anglican church is in need of revival and strengthening. We want to renew its mission, to plant, to grow. GAFCON becomes a forum to share what is happening; and whatever you call it, it’s a strong organ bringing revival in the Anglican church, and reclaiming Anglicanism, the faith of our fathers. The missionaries came to Kenya and through great suffering remained faithful. I cannot think of anything else but remaining in that faith. I’m a bishop, but I don’t preach because I’m a bishop, but because Jesus Christ saved me and transformed me.
We are still Anglicans. And GAFCON is still evolving. We want the participants to have their say. And they will say what we want to call it, and where we want to move.
The participatory and evolving nature of GAFCON keeps being stressed by the leadership team. There have been a number of opportunities thus far for all participants to put their views about what they hope will be achieved. Four questions were put to us, and we have submitted answers from numerous discussions and workshop groupings:
- What are your hopes and expectations for GAFCON?
- If GAFCON is not just a conference but a movement, how should it best be developed?
- What are some potential dangers, and/or your fears, for GAFCON as a Movement?
- How could the work of GAFCON help the Anglican Church in your country or Province face future challenges?
The responses to these questions will contribute to the formulation of the Conference Statement, which a committee of leaders from around the world is working on.
From what I’ve seen so far, my hunch is that GAFCON will be not be a breakaway church or denomination, but a movement of Anglicans wishing to reaffirm true Anglicanism, to foster Anglican ministry, and to provide protection and support for biblically orthodox parishes around the world who are being persecuted and attacked by liberal bishops.
In particular, a sentiment that has been often expressed in many of the groups and discussions is that GAFCON should not be a ‘single issue party’, a group of cobelligerents only united by their opposition to something (such as blessing same-sex unions, or ordaining gay bishops). The only unity worth having is a principled one, around a common theology and identity as ‘biblically orthodox Anglicans’.
But there’s the thing. What is true Anglican identity? Is there anything ‘Anglican’ that we can affirm and be united by theologically?
That’s the subject of some further ‘Day 3’ reflections that I hope to post soon …
Yeesh—all this worries me, Tony. It assumes that those who are at GAFCON are biblically orthodox, which is brilliant if they are, and more of the ‘same old’ if they aren’t.
It’s a better class of same old, because the obvious liberals are clearly excluded.
But already I wonder if compromises have been made that ought to signal concern. For example, have Sydney Anglicans suddenly gone quiet on the issue of lay presidency (something they have argued for long and hard on what they believe to be biblical grounds)? And if so, have they done this because they don’t want to offend sacramentalists who believe that you need a priest present before you are really celebrating a proper Lord’s supper? And…well, you can see more questions coming, I’m sure.
Hmm. Maybe they are not questions you want to answer while you’re trying to build friendships at GAFCON. But if so, that’s my point.