Core Issues Trust was a Gold Partner of the fourth Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON IV) which took place between the 17th and the 21st April 2023 at the world-renowned Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda. This conference was entitled ‘To whom shall we go?’, encouraging attendees to be focussed on the truth of God’s Word, instead of leaning on human reasoning or interpretation.
1,302 delegates were present from 52 nations worldwide, including Archbishops who altogether represented at least 85% of the membership of the Anglican Communion of Churches. One of the main objectives of the conference was to sign the 2023 Kigali Commitment – which among many things would aim to stop the progression of progressive LGBT practices from entering into the church, and in some cases being approved, which are described by the Commitment as “departures from the authority of God’s Word [which have] torn the fabric of the Communion.”
Over this issue, the Commitment mentions its disappointment in the disrespect towards God’s Word by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England in allowing same-sex prayer blessing in its recent General Synod. The Commitment describes it as “pastorally deceptive and blasphemous to craft prayers that invoke [same-sex] blessing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” and calls all members involved to repentance before they can be accepted back into the Communion. It also describes the Church of England Bishops as being in “betrayal of their ordination and consecration vows to banish error and to uphold and defend the truth taught in Scripture” and being in violation of Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which declared that “homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture,” advising against the “legitimising or blessing of same sex unions”, despite the Archbishop of Canterbury stating that Resolution I.10 remains in place.
As a Gold supporter Core Issues Trust acquired a large stall from which many materials were given away to delegates. This included the ‘X-Out-Loud: Emerging Ex-LGBT Voices’ book of testimonies, and recent publications ‘How I Feel in My Church After I Left LGBT’, the IFTCC Declaration and others from organisations such as the CHANGED Movement, and Anglican Mainstream.
It was a pleasure to have Pastor Elizabeth Woning from the CHANGED Movement, Dr Lisa Nolland, from the Marriage, Sex and Culture group and Rev Gavin Mitchell of South Africa from Anglican Mainstream, serving alongside a team of three led by Dr Mike Davidson. Together, we saw the welcome of the African Community to receive our resources, with particularly large interests from Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria who could not seem to get enough resources. Delegates from French speaking nations such as Madagascar were requesting us to translate our website and resources into French. Many from South American nations were also interested to sign our IFTCC Declaration, on which we will work to add Portuguese to the languages in which it is available.
Unlike media portrayals, those opposing the promotion of homosexual and transgender practices are not homophobic- or trans-phobic. They just want to help the people in their care get help for the unwanted same-sex attraction or gender incongruity they experience. Delegates from these countries described the pressure and manipulation they experience from the international community to conform to their agendas regarding sexuality, gender, and gender quotas. They describe how this meddling can worsen tensions between Christians and those of other faiths in those regions. They also noted that discussion of these issues are often silenced or even threatened if raised which only drives the people affected underground and at risk of criminal elements.
Some delegates from Rwanda recounted to us the horrors of how gay sex amongst prisoners affects families when the men leave prison, increasing HIV transmission and brutally injuring their wives or children – all worsened by the fact that jobs being taken from men and given to women as part of these gender quotas are increasing the frustration of now purposeless men, in turn worsening these issues.
Clearly, Africa is crying out for help and we are looking for ways and ideas to assist the continent as much as we can.
It was truly a productive conference.
Core Issues Trust are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Edwin Mbanda, son of Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, (who is now the chairman of GAFCON), whose family had promptly to leave the conference. We extend our sympathy and heartfelt prayers to the Mbanda family at this difficult time.
