Conservative Anglican leaders from across the Global South have formally cut ties with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the traditional UK-based structures of the Anglican Communion, announcing a major restructuring to form the "Global Anglican Communion" as a separate confessional body.
The decision was outlined in a resolution issued on Friday at the conclusion of the Global Anglican Council meeting held in Abuja from March 3 to 6, 2026.
The gathering included 347 bishops, along with 121 lay and clerical leaders representing 27 provinces worldwide.
Leaders declared that the moral and spiritual authority of the Seat of Augustine (the Archbishop of Canterbury) has been "severely compromised" due to what they described as "cultural capitulation" and the normalisation of teachings that contradict biblical authority.
They cited long-standing doctrinal disputes, particularly over same-sex relationships and the ordination of women as bishops.
“The Canterbury Instruments have failed to uphold essential biblical discipline,” the resolution stated.
“Continuing participation in Canterbury-led meetings would give credence to the lie that it is possible to maintain unity with those who have abandoned biblical teaching.”
The group emphasised that this is not a breakaway but a reordering of the historic Anglican Communion from within, now defined confessionally by adherence to the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration rather than institutional ties to Canterbury.
Members are directed to cease participation in bodies like the Lambeth Conference, Anglican Consultative Council, and Primates’ Meetings, halt financial contributions to the ACC, and amend constitutions to remove references to communion with the See of Canterbury.
A key administrative change replaced the former Gafcon Primates Council with the new Global Anglican Council, which will authenticate new provinces and safeguard theological integrity.
The inaugural executive team includes Archbishop Laurent Mbanda (Rwanda) as Chair, Archbishop Miguel Uchôa as Deputy Chair, and Bishop Paul Donison as General Secretary.
The Church of Nigeria, under Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, has already formally severed ties with the Church of England, describing its leadership direction as “insensitive and devastating” to orthodox faith.
The move follows earlier rejections of the Archbishop of Canterbury's role, intensified by the appointment of Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, amid ongoing tensions over sexuality and biblical authority.
Leaders stressed that true Christian unity must be rooted in truth, not institutional coexistence, positioning the Global Anglican Communion representing a significant portion of global Anglicans as the authentic continuation of biblical Anglicanism.
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