Tuesday 18 April 2023
GAFCON IV opened last night with stirring performances by local choirs and dance groups. As the choir sang the Hallelujah Chorus, the whole auditorium stood and worshipped God together.
In his welcome address, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda said, “the prophet Jeremiah, in chapter 23:26 warns against inescapable consequences of rejecting the authority of God’s word. GAFCON wants, desires and commits to bringing and keeping the Bible at the center of everything we do.”
Archbishop Foley Beach, Chairman of GAFCON, encouraged all those in attendance that “God calls us to be a repenting people, God calls us to be a reconciling people, God calls us to be a reproducing people, God calls us to be a relentlessly compassionate people.”
Archbishop Ben Kwashi, General Secretary of GAFCON, said, “The world around us is falling into a growing state of confusion and in some cases, disintegration, but it is the power of the gospel which can turn things round: the gospel of Jesus Christ carries the power of God. The effect of the gospel will be seen in the life of whoever believes in that gospel, no matter their nationality, tribe, background, education, qualifications, age or gender, and the fruit of the gospel will be seen in righteousness, holiness, service, development, health, and in the physical and spiritual blessings that accompany that person in the community. The Christian gospel does not destroy: it builds and brings life in all its fullness to everybody without discrimination.”
This morning, Bishop Jay Behan, leader of the Church of Confessing Anglicans in New Zealand gave the Bible Study from Colossians 1:15-23, saying, “Above anything and everything else we are those who believe the gospel that Jesus is Lord.”
After morning tea, there were plenary addresses by Bishop Glenn Davies of the Diocese of the Southern Cross, Australia about the history of Gafcon, the Reverend Dr Stephen Noll from North America about how the Jerusalem Declaration came into being, and Bishop Keith Sinclair, the National Director of the Church of England Evangelical Council, who gave a potted history of the Lambeth Conference.
[ENDS]
For any questions or background information, please contact Conference Media Manager Tess Delbridge on +250798288547 or media@gafcon.org.