Conservative Anglicans split with Church of England over same-sex marriages

KIGALI, Rwanda/KAMPALA, Uganda

Global conservative Anglican leaders withdrew their recognition Saturday of the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as its leader, amid disagreements about blessing same-sex couples.

The primates announced the move at the fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which ended this weekend in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali.

The Kigali commitment issued at the end of the weeklong conference reflected a consensus among Anglican conservatives, with a majority from Africa and the Global South.

“We have no confidence that the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the other instruments of communion led by him are able to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of scripture,” the primates said in a statement.

The primates accused successive archbishops of Canterbury of failing to guard the faith by “inviting bishops to Lambeth (official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), who have embraced or promoted practices contrary to scripture.”

This failure of church discipline, the primates said, has been compounded by the current Archbishop of Canterbury who has welcomed the provision of liturgical resources to bless practices contrary to scripture.

“This renders his leadership role in the Anglican Communion entirely indefensible,” it said.

The clerics expressed their hard stance during the conference.

Archbishop Ben Kwashi of Nigeria, described as “troubling for many Anglicans” the Church of England's new move on civil marriages, while Archbishop Laurent Mbanda from Rwanda and newly-elected chairman of GAFCON, told Anadolu the Bible should remain the center of reference.

American primate Foley Beach, GAFCON's outgoing chairman, said Welby and the bishops he leads need prayers.

“You and I must repent and we become Christians again and we follow Jesus Christ,” he said.

For the first time, the Church of England, which is led by Welby, approved in February, prayers of blessing for gay couples -- a move strongly criticized by conservatives.

While Welby has previously acknowledged “deep disagreement” among the provinces and urged the different factions to try to “walk together,” the Kigali commitment said they “reject the claim that two contradictory positions can both be valid in matters affecting salvation.”

The primates representing the overwhelming 85% of global Anglicans demanded that Welby repent "for leading the Church of England away from biblical orthodoxy."

“We have recognized that the Archbishop of Canterbury has abdicated his historic place as the “First among Equals” among the primates and Churches of the Anglican Communion, and we no longer recognize him as our leader,” said Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda.

In view of the current crisis, GAFCON promised it will continue to support those who are unable to remain in the Church of England because of the failure of its leadership.

GAFCON pledged to create alternative authority structures.

GAFCON began in 2008 to advocate orthodoxy in the global Anglican Communion. It takes place every five years.

About 1,300 Anglican leaders from more than 50 countries attended the conference.

The incumbent Archbishop of Canterbury has served as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion since its formation in 1867. Though with no formal power, he was taken as the “First among Equals.”