Anglican realignment

Anglican realignment
Name	Anglican realignment
Founded date	Late 20th century
Type	Movement within Anglican Communion
Main classification	Protestant
Orientation	Anglicanism, Evangelicalism, Anglo-Catholicism
Area	Global

Anglican realignment. The Anglican realignment is a movement among some Anglicans, primarily in the Global South, who have dissented from certain doctrinal and moral developments within parts of the Anglican Communion, particularly in North America and the British Isles. This has led to the formation of new ecclesiastical structures and networks that seek to maintain traditional interpretations of Anglican doctrine and Christian ethics. The movement is characterized by cross-jurisdictional alliances and a realignment of affiliation away from the historical See of Canterbury and toward alternative primatial leadership.

Background and origins

The roots of the realignment are often traced to the 1968 Lambeth Conference, where resolutions on contraception signaled broader debates on sexual ethics. Tensions escalated significantly following the 1998 Lambeth Conference, where Resolution I.10 affirmed traditional teaching on human sexuality. Subsequent actions by the Episcopal Church (United States) and the Anglican Church of Canada, such as the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire and the approval of rites for same-sex unions, were viewed by traditionalists as a rejection of Lambeth Conference authority and scriptural authority. Earlier controversies, including the ordination of women as priests and bishops in provinces like the Church of England, also contributed to underlying theological divisions concerning ecclesiology and biblical hermeneutics.

Major realigning events

A pivotal event was the 2008 Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem, which led to the creation of the GAFCON movement and the Jerusalem Declaration. In 2009, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) was formed as a new province for conservative congregations leaving the Episcopal Church (United States) and the Anglican Church of Canada. The 2022 decision by the Church of England's General Synod to move towards offering blessings for same-sex couples prompted further realignment, including the announcement of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches to no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as primus inter pares. Other significant events include interventions by Global South primates providing oversight to dissenting parishes in the United States and United Kingdom.

Key organizations and structures

The primary organizational engines of the realignment are the GAFCON movement and its associated GAFCON Primates Council. The Anglican Church in North America serves as the leading alternative province in the United States and Canada. The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) functions as a coalition of mostly Global South provinces advocating for traditional doctrine. Other significant networks include the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), originally under the Church of Nigeria, and the Anglican Network in Canada. Entities like the Anglican Mission in England and the Diocese of the Southern Cross in Australia represent newer missionary structures established by GAFCON.

Theological and social issues

Central theological issues involve the authority of Holy Scripture and the interpretation of Christian tradition on matters of human sexuality, particularly the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. Realignment proponents often emphasize the Thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer as foundational standards. Social issues driving division include the ordination of individuals in same-sex relationships and the liturgical recognition of same-sex unions. Underlying these is a profound disagreement over the nature of Christian mission, biblical authority, and the limits of provincial autonomy within the Anglican Communion.

Global impact and demographics

The realignment has significantly altered the global landscape of Anglicanism, diminishing the numerical and moral influence of historically dominant churches in the United States and United Kingdom. The growth of Anglicanism in Africa, particularly in provinces like the Church of Nigeria, the Anglican Church of Kenya, and the Church of Uganda, has shifted the communion's center of gravity. Demographically, the Anglican Church in North America reports hundreds of thousands of members, while the GAFCON movement claims to represent the majority of the world's active Anglican adherents. This has created a de facto communion within a communion, with parallel structures and gatherings like the GAFCON conferences rivaling the Lambeth Conference.

Future prospects and challenges

Future challenges include the potential for permanent structural fragmentation of the Anglican Communion and ongoing legal disputes over church property in regions like the United States and Canada. The movement faces internal challenges regarding its own coherence, including debates over the ordination of women and variations in liturgical practice among its constituent groups. Its long-term sustainability will depend on developing robust theological education institutions, such as those supported by GAFCON, and maintaining unity among its diverse Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic wings. The evolving relationship between the GAFCON movement and the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches will also be crucial in shaping a post-Canterbury global Anglicanism.

Category:Anglicanism Category:Christian denominational families Category:Christian evangelicalism