Frequently Asked Questions

GAFCON is an acronym for the Global Anglican Future Conference that was first held in Jerusalem in 2008. Subsequent GAFCON conferences have been held in Nairobi Kenya in 2013 and Jerusalem in 2018. The most recent conference gathered over 2000 Bishops, Clergy and Lay People from around the world, who confess the orthodox Anglican faith as expressed in the Jerusalem Declaration. The word Gafcon (usually in lower case) now refers to the movement that was brought into being at the first conference. Gafcon is a fellowship of Anglicans who confess the Jerusalem Declaration as a contemporary expression of orthodox Anglicanism. More information about the global Gafcon movement can be found here.

Gafcon Australia is Australian branch of GAFCON. The movement has two aims: first, to proclaim and defend the gospel throughout the world, and second, to provide support to those faithful Anglicans who have been marginalised in their spiritual homes by false teaching and practice, especially by their Bishops.

The Jerusalem Declaration was made at the first GAFCON meeting in Jerusalem in 2008. It is a 14-point declaration of contemporary orthodox Anglican doctrine and identity. It can be found here, with the statement that was made at the 2008 GAFCON. Further information and an introduction to it can be found below.

Ordained women have been involved in Gafcon from its inception, and ordained women serve in our leadership. Gafcon Australia welcomes anyone who can affirm the Jerusalem Declaration as members.

Gafcon welcomes anyone who can affirm the Jerusalem Declaration – these include catholic, charismatic and evangelical Anglicans. Gafcon Australia would like to welcome more orthodox Anglo-Catholic members.

No. Certainly the issue of how the church has responded to changing views of human sexuality has been the catalyst for the development of Gafcon. However, the core issue at stake is the way we read and understand the Bible. The revisionists sideline the authority of scripture, sometimes twisting its natural meaning, or setting it aside in favour of human reasoning. This is not just in its application ot marriage and sexuality, but to a range of other matters too, including the atonement, the uniquenesss of Christ for salvation and the reality of heaven and hell.

EFAC is the “Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion” – a fellowship started by the Revd Dr John Stott in England in 1965. It exists to maintain and promote a strong biblical witness in and through the Anglican Church so as to advance the cause of the gospel in Australia. More information can be found here.  While we share a lot in common with EFAC, it is more narrowly targeted to evangelical Anglicans, while Gafcon is a broader tent encompassing all orthodox Anglicans. EFAC is also primarily focussed on fellowship rather than acting to change structures.