By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Global orthodox Anglican leaders have announced a historic restructuring of the Anglican Communion, formally distancing themselves from the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the United Kingdom–based “Instruments of Communion.”
The decision, widely seen as a decisive turning point for the global Anglican family, follows years of disagreement over doctrinal issues such as same-sex relationships and the ordination of women as bishops.
The Daily Crucible reports that the Church of Nigeria in particular has vehemently opposed the ordination of women and the blessing of same-sex unions, leading it to formally sever ties with the Church of England, the Episcopal Church in the US, and the Anglican Church of Canada.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), conservative Anglican churches across Africa, Asia, and South America are now moving to re-establish what they describe as the original biblical structure and doctrine of Anglicanism.
The announcement was contained in a resolution issued Friday in Abuja at the end of the Global Anglican Council meeting held from March 3 to March 6.
The landmark gathering drew 347 bishops and 121 lay and clerical leaders representing 27 provinces from around the world.
In the resolution, the council declared the official inauguration of the Global Anglican Communion as a confessional body distinct from the institutional structures historically led from Canterbury Cathedral.
The newly elected chair of the council, Laurent Mbanda, said the “Canterbury Instruments” had failed to uphold essential biblical discipline and could no longer serve as the spiritual anchors of the worldwide Anglican faith.
The council accused the leadership of the Church of England of “cultural capitulation” and of normalising teachings that contradict the authority of Holy Scripture.
“The moral and spiritual authority of the Seat of Augustine has been severely compromised,” the resolution stated.
According to the council, continued participation in Canterbury-led gatherings would wrongly suggest unity with leaders they believe have abandoned biblical teachings.
As part of sweeping reforms, leaders within the newly formed Global Anglican Communion have been barred from attending future Primates’ Meetings convened in the United Kingdom.
The restriction also extends to the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), historically regarded as key pillars of the Anglican Communion.
Member provinces were further directed to halt all financial contributions to the ACC and to decline funding from what the council described as “compromised sources.”
To ensure full legal independence, provinces were also encouraged to amend their constitutions to remove references to being “in communion with the See of Canterbury.”
The council reaffirmed the Jerusalem Declaration as the sole confession of faith required for membership, effectively redefining Anglican identity from an institutional structure to a confessional movement.
In a major administrative shift, the former Gafcon Primates Council has been replaced by the Global Anglican Council, which will now serve as the main authority for recognising new provinces and safeguarding theological standards among member churches.
The newly constituted executive leadership includes Archbishop Mbanda as chair, Miguel Uchôa as deputy chair, and Paul Donison as general secretary.
Despite the sharp break from Canterbury structures, the council insisted that the development should not be seen as a breakaway movement but rather as “the historic Anglican Communion reordered from within.”
The leaders also called on Anglicans worldwide to align with the new structure, stressing that genuine Christian unity must be rooted in truth rather than institutional affiliation.
The development comes as the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), led by Henry Ndukuba, has already formally severed ties with the Church of England, describing its current leadership direction as “insensitive and devastating” to the orthodox Anglican faith.
