Andrew Goddard: The GAFCON Movement and The Anglican Communion

Although much remains unclear, there is no doubt that the Statement on the Global Anglican Future issued last weekend and its 14-point Jerusalem Declaration mark a significant development in Anglicanism. For some people the response to this is obvious – either unquestioning elation and talk of a new Reformation (the Guardian claimed one person present at the reading in Jerusalem said “he thought the skies were about to open so the delegates could ascend to heaven”!) or ridicule and dismissal of un-Anglican fundamentalist schismatics. A quick read of comments on Stand Firm or Thinking Anglicans will provide plenty of such sound bite gut reactions. For many, however, particularly many evangelicals in the Church of England, emotions are probably more mixed and minds more cautious or confused. There is uncertainty about what exactly has happened, what is going to develop in the short to medium term and how best to relate to the major new initiative of an international fellowship of confessing Anglicans aimed at reforming the Communion. the rest