By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe
Anglican bishops and church leaders from across the world have called for renewed commitment to biblical doctrine and the historic foundations of the Anglican faith following the conclusion of a major global conference held in Abuja.
The gathering, which brought together 347 Anglican bishops and 121 lay and clerical leaders from 27 provinces, ended on Friday with the inauguration of the Global Anglican Council, a new leadership structure aimed at strengthening orthodox Anglican fellowship worldwide.
The week-long conference, hosted by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) from March 3–6, 2026, focused on the theme drawn from the Bible: “Choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).
In a statement issued at the end of the conference in Abuja, the participants expressed gratitude to God for the successful deliberations and reaffirmed their commitment to the authority of Scripture and the mission of the church.
The newly inaugurated council will be chaired by Laurent Mbanda, with Miguel Uchôa serving as Deputy Chairman, while Paul Donison was appointed General Secretary.
According to the statement, the conference was convened to deliberate on the future direction of what leaders described as the “reordered” Global Anglican Communion, following earlier resolutions adopted during the Global Anglican Future Conference Martyrs’ Day Statement issued in October 2025.
Participants said the meeting provided an opportunity to “confer and celebrate the Global Anglican Communion,” while prayerfully discerning the future of the church based on the person and work of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible.
Throughout the conference, delegates held daily sessions of prayer, worship and biblical teaching, alongside plenary discussions exploring the implications of the Martyrs’ Day Statement and the vision for global Anglican mission.
Call for Reordering the Communion:
In the communiqué, the leaders argued that restructuring the Anglican Communion had become necessary because some provinces had “abandoned the authority of Scripture” and departed from historic Anglican doctrine.
The statement criticised what it described as the failure of the traditional Anglican Communion leadership structures—commonly known as the Canterbury Instruments—to uphold biblical teaching and discipline within the church.
Among the institutions mentioned were the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council, and the Primates’ Meeting.
The communiqué stated that these bodies had failed to discipline provinces that adopted teachings or practices viewed as inconsistent with Scripture.
The conference also reaffirmed the Jerusalem Declaration as the doctrinal foundation of the Global Anglican Communion, describing it as a contemporary expression of authentic Anglican faith rooted in the Reformation formularies.
Disengagement from Canterbury Structures:
As part of the new framework, the statement announced that leaders within the Global Anglican Communion would adopt what it termed “principled disengagement” from the Canterbury-based structures.
Under the policy, leaders who hold office in the Global Anglican Communion will not attend meetings convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, including the Lambeth Conference, Primates’ Meetings, or the Anglican Consultative Council.
The leaders argued that continued participation in those institutions would imply acceptance of theological differences that they consider incompatible with biblical teaching.
Global Leadership for the Church:
The communiqué explained that the newly established Global Anglican Council will serve as the principal leadership body for the fellowship of churches aligned with the Jerusalem Declaration.
Its responsibilities will include strengthening doctrinal faithfulness, welcoming provinces and dioceses wishing to participate, and recognising new Anglican jurisdictions around the world.
Delegates at the conference also emphasised the importance of the gospel message as the foundation of the church’s unity and mission.
“We gathered to celebrate the inauguration of the reordered Global Anglican Communion with the gospel at its heart,” the statement said.
Invitation to Anglicans Worldwide:
At the conclusion of the conference, the council invited Anglican churches and believers around the world to align with the Global Anglican Communion by affirming the Jerusalem Declaration.
Reaffirming the conference theme, the leaders said faithful Anglicans must make a clear choice in their commitment to serve God.
“Our affirmation is that we and our global household of faithful Anglicans will serve the Lord,” the statement concluded.
The communiqué was signed by Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Global Anglican Council, in Abuja on Friday, March 6, 2026.
