Anglican Conservatives Reject Female Global Leader, Deny Church Split

A coalition of conservative Anglican churches has rejected the idea of a woman serving as the global leader of the Anglican Communion but insists its position does not amount to a split within the Church.

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which represents mainly conservative Anglican churches in Africa and Asia, said it is defending the historic teachings of the Church rather than creating a schism.

Tensions heightened after the Church of England, regarded as the Anglican Communion’s historic “mother church,” appointed its first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, last year.

The development has unsettled GAFCON, which is holding a three-day meeting in Nigeria and is expected to elect what it describes as an alternative leader.

Speaking at the meeting, GAFCON spokesperson Justin Murff said the group’s actions are aimed at reorganising the Communion around biblical authority rather than breaking away.

“This is not a schism. It is actually a claim to continuity,” Murff said.

Founded in 2008, GAFCON says it represents the majority of practising Anglicans worldwide.

Murff also argued that leadership decisions should not be dominated by the United Kingdom, noting that most Anglicans today live in the Global South.

“Logically, it does not make sense that a small group in the United Kingdom, with minimal input from the Global South, should determine who leads the global Anglican Church,” he said.

The Church of England was established nearly 500 years ago after King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. Since then, the Archbishop of Canterbury has served as the symbolic head of the Anglican Communion, which has about 85 million members in 165 countries.

However, disagreements over the ordination of women and the inclusion of LGBTQ members have widened divisions between the Church of England and more conservative Anglican churches, particularly in Africa and Asia.

These tensions continue to raise questions about the future unity and leadership structure of the global Anglican Communion.