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How can GAFCON Membership Grow without African Anglicanism Changing?
By Julian Mann
Special to VIRTUEONLINE
www.virtueonline.org
May 3, 2016
GAFCON general secretary Dr. Peter Jensen sounded very confident in his recent interview with VIRTUEONLINE http://tinyurl.com/j3b2vo3 that the movement's worldwide Anglican membership would grow substantially. But the question must be asked, how can it unless there are changes to the way Anglican Provinces operate in GAFCON's African heartlands - not doctrinally but in terms of church order, particularly over local clergy tenure?
The former Sydney Archbishop, in the United States to speak at the diocesan conference of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), was asked by VOL about GAFCON's future. Dr. Jensen said: 'GAFCON is a dynamic spiritual movement. We have the Jerusalem Declaration. We are not leaving the Anglican Communion. We are the Anglican Communion. We have 5,000 supporters, we need 50,000 supporters and we will get them. We are growing GAFCON branches around the world. Recently New Zealand signed up. GAFCON is drawing Anglicans from around the world.'
At the risk of sounding over-pious, one is inclined to add 'Lord willing' to Dr. Jensen's confident prediction that GAFCON will grow from 5,000 to 50,000 supporters. With the corroding influence of theological liberalism a growing global threat due to the cultural imperialism of the West, it to be sincerely hoped that GAFCON's membership does grow significantly. But the question this answer raises is: why, with many millions of Anglicans in particularly the African nations with GAFCON-supporting Provinces, is the now eight-year-old movement not larger?
Is it because African Anglicanism is too centralised around Bishops and frontline clergy in local churches lack tenure? Would longer ministries in local churches allow clergy under God to build membership of a biblically orthodox network such as GAFCON on the ground by explaining its importance for our Lord Jesus Christ's cause both in their own nations and around the world?
That Western confessing Anglicans should not presume on the spiritual health of African churches was surely brought home by the recent 'mutiny' in GAFCON-supporting Kenya when a delegation from that Province attended the spiritually compromised meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Lusaka.
Nigeria reportedly has more than 20 million Anglicans. With the Archbishop of the Church of Nigeria, Dr. Nicholas Okoh, now the new chairman of the GAFCON Primates' Council, one would hope that the membership would increase significantly. If it does not, then the question of church order reform in African Anglicanism would surely become more critical.
Julian Mann is vicar of the Parish Church of the Ascension, Oughtibridge, South Yorkshire, UK -www.oughtibridgechurch.org.uk
