Global South (Anglican)

The Anglican Global South is a grouping of 24 of the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion, plus the Anglican Church in North America as the 25th member.

The provinces identified with the Global South represent most of the Southern Hemisphere and Third World provinces within the Communion, including all those from Africa, the largest from South America, most from Asia and two Oceania provinces. Global South provinces are characterized by their theological conservatism on matters of sexual ethics and life issues, and by their Evangelicalism in churchmanship. The grouping excludes the Anglican Churches of Brazil, Australia and New Zealand, despite the fact that some Australian and New Zealand dioceses were already represented in their meetings, and the Asian provinces of Japan and Korea. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa is officially associated to the Global South and was already represented in several meetings, despite being more liberal than their African counterparts. The Diocese of South Carolina (United States), which left the Episcopal Church in October 2012, was accepted into Global South in August 2014 with the Global South temporarily caring for the Diocese until a formal decision is made, with plans announced in 2016 to join the Anglican Church in North America formally requiring two formal votes at future Diocese annual conventions (2017 and 2018).

The Global South encounters started in 1994. The Global South standing gained impetus concerning the controversies over the acceptance of non-celibate homosexuality, as the blessing of same-sex unions and the allowing of non-celibate homosexual clergy was being promoted by the Episcopal Church of the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada. The apex of the controversy took place with the consecration of Gene Robinson, a partnered homosexual, as bishop of the Episcopal Church in 2003. The Global South churches have since then vigorously opposed the legitimacy of any acceptance of same-sex relationships within the Anglican Communion. Several of the Global South Primates attended the GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference) that took place in Jerusalem in 2008, as an alternative to the Lambeth Conference. They also supported the creation of the Anglican Church in North America, in 2009, as a province in formation of the Anglican Communion and a theologically conservative alternative in the United States and Canada in opposition to what were viewed as revisionist departures that had taken place in these provinces concerning specifically human sexuality and the interpretation of the Bible. Archbishop Robert Duncan of the Anglican Church in North America was present at the Global South Primates Encounter that took place in Singapore, on 19–23 April 2010. The final statement declared: "We are grateful that the recently formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a faithful expression of Anglicanism. We welcomed them as partners in the Gospel and our hope is that all provinces will be in full communion with the clergy and people of the ACNA and the Communion Partners."

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