Conservative Anglican bishops opposed to the Church of England’s decision to appoint a woman as its head have created a new body to lead their movement.
The Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) announced on Thursday that it had established a new council and named Laurent Mbanda, the Archbishop of Rwanda, as its chairman. The announcement was made in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The development comes ahead of the installation of Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25.
Mullally, a former nurse, will become the first woman to hold the position, serving as the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, which has a presence in about 165 countries and an estimated 85 million members.
While her nomination has been described by supporters as historic, it has drawn criticism from several conservative archbishops, particularly from Africa, who oppose the idea of a woman leading the Church of England, the mother church of the Anglican Communion.
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Henry Ndukuba, Archbishop of the Church of Nigeria, said following Mullally’s nomination in October that “the majority of Anglicans” did not want a woman as head of the Church.
Nigeria has the second-largest Anglican community after England, with about 18 million members.
The Archbishop of Canterbury traditionally presides over major national and royal events in England, including coronations, weddings and funerals.
According to Gafcon, the newly formed Global Anglican Communion council will have three leading members, including Mbanda, 71, who has served as Gafcon chairman since 2023. The body will also include clergy and lay members.
Gafcon describes itself as a global movement committed to “gathering authentic Anglicans, guarding God’s gospel, growing orthodox leaders and generating missional resources.”
The group had earlier voiced strong opposition to Mullally’s appointment, stating that while some would welcome her as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, it believes the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy.