Best of the Spectator Holy Smoke: is the Anglican Communion dead?
Nov 23, 2025
In this insightful discussion, Andrew Graystone, a theologian and Anglican commentator, explores the turmoil within the Anglican Communion. He delves into GAFCON's emergence as a challenge to the Archbishop of Canterbury and their stance on same-sex blessings. With the Church of England's recent controversies, Andrew raises questions about the viability of a united communion and the implications for dissenting parishes. The conversation provokes thought on the complex dynamics of faith, politics, and the future of Anglicanism amidst significant change.
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GAFCON Claims The Anglican Future
- GAFCON and many Global South provinces have effectively declared themselves a new Anglican Communion in protest at the Church of England's stance on same-sex blessings.
- This shift makes the Communion heavily African-led and challenges the historic role of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Instruments Of Communion Are Eroding
- The traditional instruments of communion (Lambeth, primates, Archbishop of Canterbury) are weakening as provinces opt out of historic structures.
- Attendance and respect for those instruments have declined for years, reducing their cohesion force.
Anglo Leadership Holds Communion Together
- Sarah Mullally may ask whether preserving global Anglican unity is worth the political and pastoral cost.
- The Anglo element appears essential: remove it and the Communion's identity becomes unstable.
