Tayari News
The Church of Uganda (COU) has dispatched a delegation of more than 50 representatives to a major Anglican conference in Nigeria, a gathering expected to shape the future direction of the global Anglican Communion amid deepening divisions over theology and leadership.
The delegation, comprising 41 bishops, six clergy, and five lay representatives, arrived in Abuja for the GAFCON-G26 conference, which opened on Tuesday evening with a Holy Communion service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja.
The service, themed “Choose this day whom you will serve” from Joshua 24:15, drew hundreds of delegates and local worshipers. About 500 delegates from conservative Anglican provinces across Africa, Asia, and South America are attending the meeting, which is hosted by the Church of Nigeria at St. Mathias House in Abuja. The conference organisers describe it as a “kairos moment” for the communion and emphasise unity among churches committed to biblical authority.
Sadiki Adams, the Communications Officer for the Church of Uganda and a member of the delegation, told Uganda Radio Network (URN) that there is a strong sense of anticipation among participants as they gather at what many view as a turning point for the Anglican Communion.
The service included prayers, hymns, and reflections on the challenges facing the Anglican Communion, setting a solemn but hopeful tone for the week’s deliberations. In his welcome address, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, told participants they had gathered at what he described as a Valley of Great Decision, urging them to reaffirm their commitment to the orthodox Christian faith.
Ndukuba said GAFCON has for years called and prayed for reform among the leadership structures of the Anglican Communion, including the Lambeth Conference, the Primates’ Council, the Anglican Consultative Council, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, without success. “…having failed, and following the decisions and statements of GAFCON, we are declaring that the future has arrived. Amen.
The Church of God will continue to march on. Not built on the institutions of Canterbury or on the personality of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Rather, we are returning, bringing back the word of God, the Holy Scriptures to be the centre of our life, our teaching and our practices,” he said, drawing loud applause. The wider Anglican Communion, which has an estimated 85-95 million members worldwide, has faced escalating tensions for decades.
Key flashpoints include the Church of England’s 2023 decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples and the 2025 appointment of Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, a development GAFCON leaders say conflicts with their theological views on gender roles and sexuality.
In 2025, GAFCON declared itself the Global Anglican Communion, rejecting the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the communion’s traditional instruments of unity. “We have not left the Anglican Communion; we are the Anglican Communion,” said GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda.
The conference has attracted significant international media attention, with some outlets suggesting the gathering could formalise a split within the global church. The BBC described the meeting as an unprecedented step that could deepen divisions, while The Telegraph reported that conservative leaders are considering the possibility of a breakaway structure.
By Friday, delegates are expected to issue a communiqué that could redefine relationships within the Anglican world. The meeting may also endorse a “first among equals” figure to rival the traditional leadership role of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Church of Uganda has been a foundational pillar of GAFCON since the movement’s inception in Jerusalem in June 2008.
Established by archbishops from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, the Southern Cone of South America, and Sydney, Australia, GAFCON emerged as a movement advocating conservative Anglican renewal and a renewed emphasis on biblical authority amid what its leaders describe as liberal shifts within Western provinces.
Uganda has consistently sent large delegations to every GAFCON gathering, including the inaugural conference in 2008, as well as those held in Nairobi in 2013, Jerusalem in 2018, and Kigali in 2023.
-URN-