GAFCON not triumphant

How as it come to this? There can be no triumphalism in the fact that GAFCON has been deemed necessary by many Christians around the world. And as we gathered today for the first full day’s session, I detected no sense of ‘victory’ for Biblical orthodoxy over liberalism. Just like the large concrete wall visible from my hotel room, a wall separating Palestinians in the West Bank from the Jews of Eretz Israel, the visible sign of separation that is the GAFCON movement will not disappear in a hurry.

Yet today the focus was squarely on Jesus. The powerful sermon by Archbishop Orombi from Uganda from the Gospel of John reminded us of the Lordship of Christ.

He rightly stated that we were not in Jerusalem ‘for debates of the human mind, or a communique, but for ‘God in Christ [to be] working in us, to bring us into a new era’. Comforting words indeed, but it is early days yet.

On first entering the communion service in the large ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel today, it reminded me of a larger version of our General Synod.

Picture this: a dais at the front of the room, with a large wooden cross and GAFCON banner, flanked by further banners bearing the Ten Commandments and The Lord’s Prayer in Hebrew, Arabic and English (well, you wouldn’t necessarily see the latter at General Synod...). Multiple long tapering candles. Many, many bishops in long purple cassocks sporting heavy crosses around their necks. There were even some Africans wearing purple skull caps – I had never seen Anglicans wearing these before. Evidently an openness of mind was needed about the the practice of global Anglicanism!

But what a great expression of our unity as Christians across cultures, to see so many people from around the world worshiping Christ and sharing in holy communion. Later we shared our thoughts on the impact of secularism on gospel proclamation through a paper by distinguished social scientist Dr Os Guinness.

The subsequent discussion highlighted that whereas we in the West regard secularism as the great challenge, for many Africans it Islam. This creative tension is like to become more exposed as GAFCON continues.

Karin Sowada is a prominent Sydney Anglican and part of the Australian contingent attending GAFCON

Photos: Peter Frank, Russell Powell

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