Evangelical leader urges Anglicans to break away

Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent
The Guardian
Wednesday October 15 2008

English churches opposing the ordination of women and homosexuals are planning to defect from the Church of England to join the Global Anglican Future Conference, a breakaway movement launched earlier this year.

Rod Thomas, chair of the conservative evangelical group Reform, warned that orthodox figures such as Michael Nazir-Ali, the bishop of Rochester, were increasingly sidelined in favour of liberals and called on congregations to support the development of a UK wing in Gafcon, an international network for Anglicans that disagrees with progressive agendas.

Endorsing and promoting the network in this country would allow access to alternative spiritual leadership from conservatives here and overseas, he said. Thomas was speaking at Reform's annual conference, ending today, and told hundreds of delegates that Reform was an "ardent supporter" of the movement, raising more than £65,000 to fund the attendance of bishops from the developing world. the rest