Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, has been re-elected to lead the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), reinforcing his role at the helm of the conservative Anglican movement amid widening doctrinal divisions within global Anglicanism.
Mbanda’s re-election was confirmed on March 4, 2026, during the GAFCON assembly in Abuja, Nigeria, with results announced the following day. He has served in the position since April 2023, when he succeeded Ben Kwashi.
GAFCON is a coalition of Anglican provinces advocating for what it describes as biblical orthodoxy, and has increasingly positioned itself as an alternative voice to the mainstream structures of the Anglican Communion, historically led by the Archbishop of Canterbury in England.
The vote comes just days before Sarah Mullally is formally installed as Archbishop of Canterbury — becoming the first woman to assume the role after beginning her duties in late January 2026.
While GAFCON leaders say they do not oppose female leadership, they have sharply criticised recent theological developments within the Church of England, particularly the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of openly gay clergy.
At a press briefing during the Abuja meeting, GAFCON representatives argued that their movement is not a breakaway faction but rather a body seeking to preserve historic Anglican doctrine.
The movement emerged in 2008 amid growing tensions within the Anglican Communion over doctrinal issues, especially after the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated an openly gay bishop in 2003 and the Church of England later approved blessings for same-sex unions.
Mbanda’s renewed mandate is expected to further solidify GAFCON’s influence, particularly among Anglican provinces in Africa and other parts of the Global South, where conservative theological positions remain dominant.
