Dear Grace Anglican Church,

Later today (4/14) I am flying to Kigali, Rwanda as a delegate from the Gulf Atlantic Diocese to the worldwide gathering of Anglicans for the fourth GAFCON Conference (Global Anglican Future Conference). Here’s a statement from the GAFCON website: 

The GAFCON movement is a global family of authentic Anglicans standing together to retain and restore the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion. Our mission is to guard the unchanging, transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim him to the world. We are founded on the Bible, bound together by the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration of 2008, and led by a Primates Council, which represents the majority of the world’s Anglicans.  (https://www.gafcon.org/about)

Dr. Stephen Noll is a former professor at my seminary in Pittsburgh, Trinity School for Ministry.  He has written a very concise background leading up to this 4^th GAFCON event.  https://stephenswitness.org/2023/03/25/toward-reviving-reforming-and-reordering-the-anglican-communion-fourteen-theses-for-global-anglicans-2/

Delegates may be asked to approve a formal statement coming out of this conference, but voting is not a major component. Our purpose is to pray, worship, and build unity of mission and global witness to the authority of Scripture and the mission of Jesus Christ. The teaching content will address the cultural drift away from God that has accelerated over the last 25 years, especially as seen in the recent decisions of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England regarding human sexuality and marriage. (They formally approved the blessing of same-sex marriage in early February).

At this conference, there will be much discussion about possible ways that faithful Global Anglicans can be unified and organized apart from the Church of England (the historic seat of Anglicanism). It is time for a new instrument of unity to be identified for faithful global Anglicans.

Please pray for:

• commitment to Biblical unity: one holy catholic and apostolic church in the bounds of orthodoxy
• wisdom: honesty, transparency, humility as we meet together
• love, patience, kindness for all gathered in Kigali

I am blessed and honored to be representing our church and diocese in Kigali for this historic meeting. I especially thank those who gave directly to my travel and conference costs. We’re told that internet will be spotty in the conference center, but I will try to post updates and prayer requests on our church blog here.

Please also pray for health and safe travel for me and the other delegates. I return late on April 22.