Episode 14 (recorded 13 January 2021).  Bishop Jack Lumanog discusses the announcement from the Anglican Church of Kenya on 12 January 2021 that they will be going to be the second Gafcon (Global Anglican Future Conference) province to consecrate a woman as a bishop.  The Rev. Dr. Emily Onyango has been appointed Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Bondo in the Anglican Church of Kenya and affirmed by the Kenyan House of Bishops.  What are the implications for Gafcon and member provinces with this announcement from the Anglican Church of Kenya?  

It seems to me that Gafcon mostly depends on the unity of the primates.  Individual provinces are generally “episcopally led and synodically governed.”  Not sure what Gafcon’s next move as a whole will be since there isn’t a Gafcon synod per se.  Though the conferences look like a synod (with bishops, clergy and lay orders represented) the only “vote” taken at the conferences in Jerusalem (2008), Nairobi (2013) and Jerusalem (2013) is by acclamation to receive the communiqué at the close of the conference.  In reality, Gafcon is “primatially led and primatially governed.”  It will be interesting to see how they thread this governance needle.

As it is, Gafcon wants to be seen as a church at times, especially when consecrating a bishop for New Zealand, for example.  Or by trying to position itself as a parallel to Canterbury.  But, are all the Gafcon primates (especially the new primate of Nigeria) in agreement with this move by the Anglican Church of Kenya?

As one who was highly involved at the highest levels of Gafcon from 2011 to 2018, I’m interested to see how this is spun and how the movement goes on from here.

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