The Gafcon movement of orthodox Anglicans has opted not to appoint a primus, choosing instead to form a Global Anglican Council.
The council will be tasked with leading the Global Anglican Communion recently created by Gafcon out of frustration with the liberal direction of the Church of England - frustration that eventually led to the movement rejecting the spiritual leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It had been expected that Gafcon would announce a new primus to lead the Global Anglican Communion at its meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, this week.
It was instead announced that the Gafcon Primates Council - which has led the movement since its inception in 2008 - would be dissolved in favour of the formation of the Global Anglican Council.
Archbishop Laurent Mbanda was unanimously elected as the council's first Chairman, with Archbishop Miguel Uchoa being elected to serve as Vice-Chairman and Bishop Paul Donison as General Secretary. Their terms will conclude at the next major Gafcon gathering scheduled for Athens in 2028.
Bishop Donison said the council would be comprised of primates, advisers and guarantors selected from among bishops, clergy and lay members, each with full voting privileges.
Explaining the decision to lead by council, Bishop Donison suggested a break with the "old" was necessary and called it a "historic day" for Gafcon.
"In a world where most organizations and individuals are concerned about keeping power and authority, the Gafcon Primates Council has made an unprecedented decision to share its stewardship of the Global Anglican Communion ... ," he said.
He continued, "This expanded Council reflects the willingness of the Primates to share their authority with a wider group of global Anglican leaders, both lay and clergy.
"While the Chairman of the Council will be a Primate, he will not be primus inter pares (first amongst equals).
"Believing that the current Instruments of Communion no longer meet the needs of the majority of Anglicans around the world, the Global Anglican Communion is to be led by a conciliar structure.
"The Global Anglican Council has discerned that if we are to move past old structures, we must leave behind old titles as well."
George Conger, reporting from the Abuja meeting for Anglican Ink, said the sudden U-turn had come "without warning" and left delegates "perplexed" as the election of a primus had been widely expected. He said the about-turn appeared to be motivated by a desire to "avoid a confrontation with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion by not setting up rival structures".
