The chair of the Statement Committee at the Global Anglican Future Conference has told a media briefing that there is already general agreement on a number of points as the meeting is just two days away from issuing its final communique.

The statement is not in its final form, but Kenyan Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, said it was clear there is a determination to maintain the authority of Scripture in the life of the Church and a profound sadness about the current state of the Anglican Communion.
Pilgrims also want to see GAFCON develop into a long-term movement instead of a one-time conference.

They agree that more permanent structures need to be established for faithful Anglicans who serve in provinces that have left the traditional teachings of Scripture, and desire to continue to reach out to other Anglicans.

Further, Archbishop Nzimbi said there is a genuine desire to continue to reach out to other Anglicans around the Communion who share our common faith so that ‘we can grow in our witness to the world of God's transforming power.’

Different cultures, the same master

In one of the most colourful moments of the conference so far, there was a morning appearance of the Mothers Union choir of Nigeria.

Adorned in colourful African dress, the women sang local songs and soon had the audience swaying in rhythm.

"The women expressed such joy and were so uplifting,” American pilgrim Joy Gwaltney said.

“The colour, the sound, the feeling in the entire room was wonderful.”

Then in a Bible exposition on 2 Samuel 7,  Senior Minister at St. Ebbe’s, Oxford, Vaughan Roberts declared, “Our master is not in Canterbury, nor Kampala, nor Lagos”.

Mr Roberts emphasised that our Master is the Lord in Heaven above.

The sermon continued the theme of ‘Jesus is Lord’ and was met with enthusiastic applause from delegates.

GAFCON witnesses as it works

Meantime, the conference has been told of the first person to come to faith because of GAFCON " or rather a flight delay getting to GAFCON.

Nigerian Bishop Edafe Emamezi has told how he and other delegates were forced to wait for five hours in an airport, during which time they spoke to a German tourist.

After speaking about where they were going and why, the man started asking questions about Christianity and within an hour had committed his life to Jesus.

A beaming Bishop Emamezi told the story on video played to the conference hall of how he had already started praying for the man and seeking a church for him to attend in his homeland.

The Bishop says he’s looking forward to being delayed on his way home!

Click here to watch Bishop Emamezi describe how a GAFCON delay turned into a conversion.