The new schism
In one of the largest schisms in Western Christianity since Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation, the global Christian faith has witnessed a fracture of monumental proportions.
Today, Oct. 16, the bishops of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, known as GAFCON, announced they are cutting all ties with the Anglican Communion and its historic “first among equals,” the archbishop of Canterbury, over what they deem a rejection of biblical authority.
They declared themselves to be the true Anglican Communion. (1)
The current chairman of GAFCON, who was central in this announcement and event, is Laurent Mbanda, archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. I am mindful that in 1994, some 500,000 - 1 million members of the Tutsi ethnic group were systematically killed by Hutu militia in Rwanda. With this in mind, I recall Paul Smith's words regarding "traditional church":
The traditional church is a faithful church… Most of us on the Christian path today got there via this stage. Those who live at the tribal, warrior, and traditional level can often only respond to the gospel when it is presented by the traditional level of church. We need traditional churches that minister to those firmly rooted in traditional consciousness and invite people to move up from the tribal and warrior stages. (2)
I am also mindful that the United States of America, supposedly at the forefront of progressive Western civilization, is currently ruled by a regime centred around warrior consciousness.
It makes perfect sense to me that the sort of moral, intellectual, and spiritual authority and guidance that societies like Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, and Kenya, as well as sub-societies of threatened conservative communities (such as exist in Australia, the US, and New Zealand), want and desire and often truly need is not the same sort of guidance and leadership that, say, Sarah Mullally and contemporary multicultural, post-liberal England offers and wants and needs.
It makes perfect sense to me that nations and churches of the global South don’t want to be led by former colonial, imperial powers.
This also frees up the Church of England to follow where the Spirit is leading it.
Nevertheless, sooner or later, the concerns, challenges, and opportunities of “modern and postmodern consciousness” - modern and postmodern church - will be the Global South’s too, will be GAFCON’s or the Global Anglican Communion’s, too, if they aren’t already. I’ll focus on these modern and postmodern challenges, concerns, and opportunities in a future post.
But a sad day, no doubt, for many Anglicans and Christians (see comments below) to see their beloved Communion breaking more decisively in two, to see the division and disunity that has been brewing for many years find such full and final expression.
For the full GAFCON statement, go here.
For a defence and discussion from Mbanda, go here.
For a thorough discussion, go here.
For a cautious (Western liberal Anglican) response, go here.
References
(1) https://baptistnews.com/article/a-house-divided-the-anglican-communions-great-reset
(2) Paul R. Smith, Integral Christianity: The Spirit’s Call to Evolve (2011), p.44.
