The AGM of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Australia has been held during the Anglican Future Conference in Melbourne.

The meeting agreed to change the public name and title to “GAFCON Australia” in order to match similar decisions in other provinces.

The Chairman, Bishop Richard Condie of Tasmania, also reported on the “offering of assistance to former members of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia (“ACANZP”), who have been forced to disaffiliate because of their General Synod’s decision to allow of the blessing of same-sex unions in the church”.

Condie outlined how he and Archbishop Glenn Davies of Sydney had, in dialogue with the three primates of ACANZP, worked with the more than 20 parishes who are expected to finally disaffiliate, along with additional clergy. davidould.net understands a number of different options have been explored including the provision of alternative episcopal oversight from a current Australian bishop or a newly-consecrated “missionary bishop”. However, the final decision taken by the ACANZP parishes is to have a wholly-indigenous structure and form an extra-provincial diocese which will apply to the GAFCON Primates Council for official recognition. Having received recognition they would then elect their own bishop. We understand that the application would be made to the GAFCON Primates Council meeting taking place in late April in Sydney.

At his meeting with the 3 Primates, Glenn Davies delivered a proposal for “Distinctive Co-Existence” [pdf], asking them,

why can’t two organisational structures co-exist, each holding to [our] Anglican heritage?

Davies’ proposal calls for a radical reassessment of the basis on which the Anglican Communion meets,

This would necessarily redefine the nature of the Lambeth Conference from its historical role as a resolution-making body. The gathering could celebrate our heritage, our common desire to see Christ glorified, without pretending there are no differences among us. Would that not be a celebration worth having?

We’ll keep you updated on any developments.