The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) announced on Thursday that it had created the council as a replacement for what it described as outdated leadership structures. The group says it represents the majority of the world’s 85 million Anglicans spread across 165 countries.

GAFCON elected Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, a former Rwandan refugee who later studied in the United States, as chairman of the newly established council. According to the group, Mbanda’s leadership will be shared collectively rather than operating under the traditional “first among equals” model.

The council’s secretary general, Bishop Paul Donison, told attendees at the conference in Abuja, Nigeria, that the current leadership framework of the Anglican Communion no longer reflects the needs of most Anglicans globally.

“Believing the current instruments of communion no longer meet the needs of the majority of Anglicans around the world, the global Anglican Communion is to be led by a conciliar structure,” Donison said.

Reports indicate that the council will comprise bishops, priests and lay members, with each member granted voting rights.

The development directly challenges Sarah Mullally, who was appointed by the Church of England last October as its first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Mullally is expected to be enthroned as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25.

GAFCON Spokesman Says Group Recognises New Leader

GAFCON is made up largely of conservative Anglican churches from Africa and Asia. The group has consistently opposed what it describes as liberal shifts within parts of the Anglican Communion, including the ordination of women as priests and bishops and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ members.

When asked whether GAFCON still recognises the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the group’s spokesman, Justin Murff, gave a firm response.

“The Global Anglican Council recognises Archbishop Laurent Mbanda as its leader,” Murff said.

Reacting to the development, a spokesperson for the Anglican Communion Office in London expressed concern about the growing division.

“It hurts the body of Christ when some churches express a desire to separate, not associate, or otherwise renounce any association with those with whom they disagree,” the spokesperson said.

Historically, the Church of England itself broke away from the Roman Catholic Church nearly 500 years ago under King Henry VIII. Since then, the Archbishop of Canterbury has served as the symbolic head of the Anglican Communion, which expanded globally through missionary work.

GAFCON, established in 2008, insists it is not leaving the Anglican Communion but rather restructuring it around what it describes as Biblical authority. In October, Mbanda said the group had “not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion.”

During prayers on Thursday, Mbanda also signalled what he described as the beginning of a new chapter for the church.

“The future has arrived, no turning back,” he declared.

Anglican communities in Africa and Asia—regions where the church has seen the fastest growth in recent decades—have increasingly opposed progressive developments they associate with England and other Western nations. Disagreements over women’s ordination and LGBTQ+ inclusion have intensified tensions within the global communion, pushing the church toward what many leaders describe as a critical breaking point.