Orthodox Anglican leaders from across the world have announced a major restructuring of global Anglican leadership, inaugurating a new governing body known as the Global Anglican Council in Abuja.
The decision, reached at the conclusion of a meeting held from March 3 to March 6, signals a significant departure from the traditional authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the United Kingdom-based “Instruments of Communion.”
The gathering brought together 347 bishops and 121 lay and clerical leaders representing 27 Anglican provinces worldwide, who resolved to establish the Global Anglican Council as the new leadership structure for what they described as the Global Anglican Communion.
The council will be chaired by Rwandan archbishop Laurent Mbanda, who was elected to lead the newly created body. Leaders at the meeting argued that the traditional Canterbury-led structures had failed to uphold biblical discipline and doctrinal clarity within the global Anglican church.
According to the resolution issued at the conference, the restructuring represents a culmination of years of theological disagreements within the Anglican Communion, particularly over issues such as same-sex relationships and the ordination of women as bishops.
Participants said the new council aims to preserve what they described as historic Anglican doctrine and biblical authority, while creating a governance structure that reflects the growing influence of Anglican churches in Africa, Asia, and parts of the Global South.
The move marks one of the most significant developments in global Anglicanism in recent years, as conservative Anglican provinces seek to redefine leadership and doctrinal direction within the worldwide church.
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