Clerics meet in Nigeria: could the Anglican Church split ?
Conservative Anglican leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America gathered in Nigeria on Wednesday as part of a four-day meeting that could reshape the future of one of the world’s largest Christian communions over the recent appointment of the first female leader of the Anglican Church.
The conference, organized by the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON), will debate proposals that could formalize a rift with parts of the Anglican world over same-sex marriage and the role of LGBTQ+ clergy.
Senior clerics from across Africa and other parts of the Global South have gathered in Nigeria amid growing tensions within the global Anglican Church, raising fresh concerns about a possible split in the historic Christian communion.
The meeting, hosted by the Church of Nigeria, comes as deep divisions persist over doctrine, authority and issues relating to same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Conservative provinces, particularly in Africa, have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the direction of the Church of England and decisions made by leadership in Canterbury.
The rift widened after moves by the Church of England to allow blessings for same-sex couples a step that many African bishops argue contradicts biblical teaching and longstanding Anglican doctrine. While the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has maintained calls for unity, several Global South leaders say the communion’s spiritual leadership is being questioned.
Clerics attending the Nigeria gathering are discussing the future structure of Anglicanism and whether alternative leadership arrangements may be necessary. Some conservative leaders have previously boycotted meetings led by Canterbury and signaled support for a realignment that would shift influence away from England.
Although no formal declaration of a split has been announced, analysts say the Abuja meeting underscores how fractured the 85-million-member global communion has become.
African provinces, which represent a large and rapidly growing share of Anglicans worldwide, are increasingly asserting theological and administrative independence.
The outcome of the talks in Nigeria could shape the future of Anglican unity or accelerate moves toward a historic separation within one of the world’s largest Christian traditions.
