19th August 2022

A personal appeal from Bishop Andy Lines…

The importance of Gafcon to the future of historic, orthodox, Biblical, confessing Anglicans worldwide cannot be understated. Unlike the Lambeth conference, Gafcon is a proper global conciliar council involving Bishops, clergy and laity representing the vast majority of the Anglican Communion.

For the Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) and its constituent Convocations, the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) and the Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE), it is our ‘home’ and the reason we ‘are not alone.’ The Network is part of the faithful remnant around the globe, along with, amongst others, the Anglican Church in North America, the Anglican Church in Brazil, and the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand, all recognised and authenticated by the Gafcon Primates’ Council which enables faithful Anglicans to continue to promote the gospel and defend the faith when Canterbury-aligned structures depart from ‘the faith once for all delivered to the saints.’ We are part of the lifeboat fleet with an urgent mission to provide hope in Christ to the 750 million souls in Europe, but we wouldn’t exist had we not been part of the previous Gafcons.

It is vital that Gafcon continues to prophetically and courageously ‘proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations’ with vision and energy. So Gafcon 4, taking place next year in Kigali from 17-21 April, will be a significant and important quinquennial gathering in which the Network must play its part. Not only do we want to demonstrate our gratitude to the global fellowship for its support and encouragement, we want to contribute and serve by helping to shape its witness for the next 5 years and beyond.

To that end, we want to enable all the presbyters within the Network to attend, along with ‘next generation’ leaders - women and men, lay and clergy - to whom the baton can be passed for Gafcon’s vision and future.

To remain faithful to Christ, many of these leaders have made significant financial sacrifices in stepping apart from Canterbury-aligned structures. They have exhausted funds and contacts to plant and establish new congregations, find housing, provide stipends and secure venues.

So I am appealing to you to be a significant blessing to them by sponsoring places at Gafcon 4.

The conference costs just short of of £1500 (which compares favourably to £4950 for Lambeth) plus travel to Rwanda. The Network is looking to raise £100k to subsidise the equivalent of 40 full places at £2500, which will be apportioned according to need (eg some 50% of conference fee, some full conference fee, some full conference and travel costs).

Please would you sponsor one or more Network delegates @ £2500.

Gifts may be made tax efficiently to either the Network or to one of the Convocations (ref: Kigali):

• ANiE: Lloyds Bank 30-96-26 71348760 (Registered Charity no. 1199384)

• AMiE: Cooperative Bank 08-92-99 67253036 (Registered Charity no. 1158679)

• ACE: Lloyds Bank 30-98-97 38327363 (Registered Charity no. 1199381)

Thank you for your support.

Andy Lines