Friday 21 April 2023
On Friday 21 April, the GAFCON IV Conference Statement was released. The Conference Statement is a summary of what the Conference wants to say to the world and the Anglican Communion. It is a feature of every GAFCON Conference.
The Conference Committee did not work on the substance of the Statement prior to the Conference. It has always been the desire of the Gafcon Primates that the Statement arise out of the Conference.
On Monday 17 April the Conference Statement Committee met to work on the Statement Framework – ideas of things that could be included in the Statement. The Statement Framework, written in English, was then translated into four other languages – French, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili.
The Statement Framework was made available to the delegates on Tuesday 18 April via an online survey. The online tool enabled delegates to indicate which ideas they agreed ought to be included in the Statement, and to provide written feedback on areas they felt ought to be included that were omitted. In addition, on Tuesday afternoon in the Clergy and Lay Meeting, delegates were led in a discussion of the challenges facing the church and their hopes for the Anglican Communion.
Feedback on these hopes and challenges was delivered to the Statement Committee on Tuesday evening. The group reviewed the feedback and updated the Statement Framework. Further input was given by a number of the Gafcon Primates.
The Draft Statement was read to all the delegates at 4pm on Wednesday 19 April, and then delegates worked in Provincial Groups to review the Draft Statement and provide further comment. Approximately 600 suggested edits were reviewed by the committee overnight on Wednesday, and feedback incorporated into the Draft Statement.
The Chairman of the Statement Committee met with the Primates on Thursday to review the Statement and further edits were made.
A final Statement was prepared on Thursday afternoon and evening, in preparation for presentation to the Conference on Friday.
Members of the Conference Statement Committee:
Chair – Rt Rev Dr Michael Stead – Australia
Ven Kara Hartley – Australia
Rev Canon Dr Mark Thompson – Australia
Rev Anne Kennedy – Anglican Church in North America
Rt Rev Sammy Morrison – Chile
Rev Tim Anderson – Ireland
Rev Andrew Symes – Anglican Network in Europe
Rt Rev Dapo Asaju – Nigeria
Rev Canon Dr John Senyonyi – Uganda
Rt Rev Alfred Olwa – Uganda
Secretariat
Mrs Felicity Stead – Secretary
Rev Nigel Fortescue – Secretary
[ENDS]