More than 1,200 bishops, priests and laymen from the Anglican Church gathered in Jerusalem to make an official declaration of faith and express a strong, conservative stance. The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) was held in response to a “false gospel” undermining the authority of God’s Word—for instance, proclaiming Jesus as a way instead of the way, and claiming God’s blessing for same-sex unions.
This conference came ahead of the official Anglican gathering at Lambeth, England sponsored by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Williams did not sanction the Jerusalem meeting.
The majority of representatives were from Africa and Asia, showing that while the Anglican Church on these continents and South America is maintaining a firm biblical position, the church in the West is becoming more liberal.
The participants did not break fellowship with the church, but they called on the leadership to discipline those who proclaim a false gospel, and for others to repent and return to the roots of orthodox Anglicanism, which is Scripture-based.
“We cherish our Anglican heritage and the Anglican Communion and have no intention of departing from it,” the Jerusalem Declaration said. “And we believe that, in God’s providence, Anglicanism has a bright future in obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and to build up the church on the foundation of biblical truth.”
Seven out of 38 worldwide Anglican primates signed the Jerusalem Declaration and more are expected to do so.
“History has been made,” said Most Rev. Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Abuja, Primate of All Nigeria and chairman of GAFCON. “What we have here today is not just Africa and the Global South, but truly a global coming together of Anglicans from around the world.”
Since the American Anglicans (the Episcopal Church) and some Canadian Anglicans have appointed homosexual bishops and priests, conservative leaders in the West transferred their orders to prelates in Africa, South America and Asia who are opposed to gay unions.
The statement said that GAFCON intends to be the representative of “all those as Anglicans who affirm the Anglican standard of faith.” It recognizes provinces and dioceses of the Anglican Communion “except in areas where churches and leaders have denied the orthodox faith or are preventing its spread."
The conference also broke ranks with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the traditional leader of the Anglican Church, who has come under fire for failing to take tough action against homosexuality within in the church.
“While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury,” the statement said.
The ordination of homosexuals in America and Canada elicited a strong Islamic response against Anglicans in Africa and the Middle East who were lumped into the gay-affirming category. The Rev. David Pileggi, rector of the Anglican Christ Church in Jerusalem’s Old City, said that the policies of the US Episcopal Church “endangered the lives of Christians” in Africa and the Middle East.
“We see the liberals as the ones who are breaking off,” Pileggi said, describing the rift. “Worldwide, the Anglican church is a biblical church despite the actions of a few such as ordaining homosexuals, denying the centrality of Christ. You can’t be part of a historic church and act on your own.”
The conference had the Holy City of Jerusalem as the symbolic backdrop to its meetings. But not without controversy. Part of GAFCON’s schedule was initially moved to Jordan in response to objections by the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani, who supported the official Anglican conference in Lambeth and feared GAFCON would import “inter-Anglican conflict” into his diocese.
Jordan, however, is an Islamic country and was not a friendly a host. Akinola was refused entry and then, after 36 hours in Amman, the conference was closed down by intelligence services. Akinola may have been denied entry due to his reputation in his religiously-tense nation as a fierce critic of Islam.
“It says a lot for Israel that Israel does have freedom of religion,” said Pileggi. “Compared to everywhere else, this is a religious paradise.”
