About Gafcon GB & Europe

Why Gafcon?

Gafcon GB & Europe: our identity and mission

We were established as Gafcon UK in 2016 as the successor to ‘Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans’, We changed our name in 2020 to reflect our work of standing for biblical orthodoxy within the different Anglican jurisdictions and Provinces of Britain and Europe (there is a separate ‘Gafcon Ireland’). We realize that ‘orthodox Anglicans’, those who seek to be faithful to the unchanging word of God coming to us from the Scriptures, the ‘apostolic teaching’ commissioned by Christ himself, need the fellowship of the global body of Christ. We cannot maintain a faithful witness in our national Anglican churches only using the wisdom of our own local tradition, but also need partnership with Anglicans following Christ in different cultures around the world, and inspiration from their courage and insights.
 
So, we are unashamedly ‘Gafcon’ Anglicans. We look back to the groundbreaking conference in Jerusalem in 2008, when senior Anglican leaders and ‘ordinary’ lay communicants from all over the world met to take counsel after the unilateral actions of the North American Episcopal Churches who opposed the clear teachings of Scripture on the ethics of marriage and family, and threatened to “tear the fabric of the Anglican Communion”. We recognize that conference’s ‘Jerusalem Declaration’ as a clear statement of Christian belief, around which all orthodox Anglicans can unite. We see in Gafcon Global a Holy Spirit led movement for the renewal of the Anglican Communion, and a growing authority, with Gafcon Primates humbly exercising prophetic and pastoral leadership where at times the official structures seem ambivalent or even openly questioning the clear teaching of the bible as handed down in our Anglican liturgies and sacraments.
 
The Jerusalem Declaration states that it is not enough to hold privately to orthodoxy. It’s sometimes necessary to oppose false teaching in the church, and to hold those leaders who promote it to account (JD, Clause 13). More positively, we are inspired by the vision of a ‘global Anglican future’ based on unity in the faith while celebrating our diversity in cultures and different expressions of churchmanship. In association with Gafcon Global we want to prioritise through our regional branch the preaching of the gospel of Christ to all nations, the making of disciples and establishment of new churches to reach the lost.
 
So Gafcon GBE is a place of fellowship, mutual learning, and planning for united action for all those from our region wanting to identify as biblically orthodox according to the Anglican formularies and the Jerusalem Declaration. Most of our members are found in the historic national churches in the different nations, but our branch also includes the Free Church of England, other members of the Reformed Episcopal Church family in Europe and the Anglican Network in Europe (see below).

More about our branch:  

ANiE

The Anglican Network in Europe, a new Anglican jurisdiction authorized by the Gafcon Primates and under the episcopal leadership of Bishop Andy Lines, was formally launched at an online service on April 19th 2021. This consists of two ‘convocations’, Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) which has recently restructured, and Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE), a new body pioneered by faithful Scottish episcopal churches, English congregations not in AMiE, Anglican fellowships outside the Church in Wales and fellowships in continental Europe looking for a home. More information can be found on these websites: anglicannetwork.org; aceanglicans.org; anglicanmissioninengland.org

REC

The Reformed Episcopal Churches began in 1873, arising out of concerns that the Episcopal Church in the United States was departing from the biblical foundations of Anglicanism – something that has been paralleled over 130 years later in the events that led up to the formation of GAFCON and the ACNA.

Since then, Reformed Episcopal jurisdictions have been established and bishops consecrated in a number of countries including UK (Free Church of England), Germany and Croatia. They have been part of Gafcon since 2008. 

The Reformed Episcopal Churches of Europe say: “Our vision is to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the peoples of Europe, rejoicing in the fact that, as St Paul said before setting out for Macedonia,‘God has called us to preach the gospel to them [the peoples of Europe]’ as well (Acts 16:10)."
 
Please pray for Bishop Andy of ANiE, for Bishops John, Paul, Gerhard and Jasmin of FCE / REC as they lead their churches in worship and witness. Pray for growing fellowship and collaboration between these church movements.

Gafcon GBE has no part in the governance of ANiE which is overseen by the Gafcon primates, or of the FCE and REC Dioceses which are independent but with which the ACNA has declared itself to be in full communion. 

Part of the role of Gafcon GBE is to facilitate fellowship and cooperation between all faithful Anglicans, belonging to different structures, who support and are inspired by the Gafcon movement and vision. Please pray for us in this task, especially as we play our part in offering support to faithful Anglicans wrestling with the implications of leadership which is no longer clearly upholding biblical truth.

    Governance

    Trustees

    Gafcon GBE is recognised as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) number 1187303

    The trustees are:

    • Rt Rev Andy Lines (ex-officio)
    • Mrs Jane Krammer, Dorset
    • Mr Martin Mills, London
    • Rev. David McCarthy, Aberdeen
    • Rev Melanie Prince, Barry
    • Mr. Paul Bugden, London
    • Mr. Piyush Jani, Cambridge 
    • Dr Chik Kaw Tan, Newcastle-under- Lyme
    • Mrs Rachel Henderson, Lymington

    Council of Reference

    Gafcon GBE has a Council of Reference – which represent the breadth of the Gafcon GBE membership – their role is to advise the trustees and staff.

    Vice President - Rev John McGinley

    • Rt Rev Andy Lines
    • Rev Nigel Atkinson, Knutsford
    • Miller Bogie, Edinburgh
    • Alan Chadwick
    • Lucy Chapman
    • Rev Amatu Christian-Iwuagwu, London
    • Rev Ian Ferguson, Aberdeen
    • Rev Jim Griffiths, Cardiff
    • Kenny Larsen
    • Rev Will Pearson-Gee
    • Rev John McGinley
    • Brian O'Donoghue
    • Rev Anthony Roberts, Oswaldtwistle
    • Mrs Natalie Stenström
    • Rev Andrew Symes
    • Rev Rico Tice, London
    • Stephen Walton
    • Mark Williams, Isle of Wight

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