The Gafcon Primates’ Council recently issued a statement, rebuking the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, for “promoting the sanctification of sin by means of a divine blessing”.

The leaders of the global evangelical movement inside the Anglican Church, point out that, “while he may claim not to have changed the doctrine of marriage, Welby has demonstrably changed the doctrine of sin”, in an interview in the The Rest is Politics podcast.

“Archbishop’s recent explicit repudiation of Christian doctrine in his interview, has brought us to repeat our serious call for his personal repentance”, underlines the statement.

A “clear breach of Holy Scripture”

According to the Gafcon leaders, “that is a clear breach of Holy Scripture”, as well as “of Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which the Archbishop as recently as 2022 declared to be the teaching of the Anglican Communion, including the Church of England”.

That is why they “solemnly repeat our call for Archbishop to personally and publicly repent of this denial of his ordination and consecration vows, where he promised to teach the doctrine of Christ as the Church of England has received it”.

In January 2023, the Church of England already formalised the blessing of same-sex couples, offering specific ‘prayers’ in the church. At that point, it was clarified that this did not make these unions equal to marriage. The decision provoked criticism from both the evangelical and liberal sectors of the church.

“Champion the Anglican Network in Europe”

Gafcon Primates show their support to “all faithful Anglicans who chose to leave established provinces where the authority of Scripture has been compromised, as well as those who remain as they seek to reform their province from within”.

They also “champion the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) as Gafcon’s authentically-Anglican structural provision for those who cannot by conscience remain within the historic, revisionist structures”.

The statement concludes reminding “all those in England who contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to all the saints” that they “are not alone”.

CEEC already called for his resignation

The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), which brings together leading evangelical pastors and theologians within the Church of England, expressed “surprise” at a the “arresting admission” of the archbishop.

They said his position is “devastating statement because it marks a clear departure from the doctrine of the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and every other major Christian denomination across the world believe”.

That is why some evangelical theological and reverends of local parishes already called for his “resignation” for “denying the doctrine of the Church of England”.