Communique issued by Gafcon BishopS’ training institute (BTI 5) held at Jumuia Country house and Conference centre Limuru, Kenya Between 14th and 23rd May, 2019.

1.0 Preamble

We, the delegates who were privileged to be invited to participate in the fifth Gafcon Bishop Training Institute, are most grateful to God, the Gafcon leadership, the Director of BTI and his team of facilitators, who made this conference a huge success.
We worshipped together and during our morning sessions, reflected on the message of the Book of Hebrews, guided by our conference theme “Spurring one another on to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24).  We learnt that in Christ Jesus we have “the great salvation” and “the great High Priest,” “the superior covenant” and “the best sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins”. In Christ we have come to “the great and awesome place” and in our “lifelong Christian race”, we are surrounded by the “great witness of the heroes of faith”. In Christ we have a “great call to witness with our lives of good works and faith”.

We pray that the Lord continually keep the Gafcon movement strong as it moves from glory to glory. Amen.

Our gratitude to all the BTI leadership, particularly Bishop Samson Mwaluda and his wife Canon Agatha, Dr. Dick and Dr. Caroline Seed, the secretariat staff and all the team of facilitators. The Lord grant you all a joyful reward. 

2.0. Affirmation

We, the participants of BTI 5, affirm our loyalty to the Gafcon Jerusalem Declaration of the year 2008, that we accept the Old and New Testament Scriptures as sufficient for salvation. Also, we acknowledge the Lambeth Resolution 1:10 of 1998, that upholds the sufficiency of the scriptures, the sanctity of marriage and human sexuality as instituted by God. 

3.0. Resolution

Having successfully completed the training programme, we, Bishops and wives present, hereby resolve as follows:

3.1. That all faithful bishops in the provinces of the Communion, especially in matters of episcopal succession, are to stand strong and be courageous against the trappings, monetary inducements from the revisionist agenda groups, overwhelmingly local ethnic and cultural sentiments and the international political conspiracies.

3.2. That bishops from developing nations should be wary of receiving aid wrapped in the cloak of incentives, aid, partnership, sponsorship released from people with agendas contrary to the teaching of the Bible. 

3.3. That the traditional instruments of the Anglican Communion should exercise appropriate discipline of erring Provinces.

3.4 That all primates, archbishops and bishops must consistently stand for the truth and faith once delivered to us and the preaching of the unadulterated gospel through a life of integrity, rather than mere rhetoric, born out of empty secularism.

3.5. That the leaders of the church at all levels are to recognize that the primary purpose of their call into the ministry is mission. That is, they were saved through mission, they are commissioned for mission and they are to prepare the church for mission. This is the heartbeat of God.

3.6. That bishops and leaders at all levels are to prioritize the teaching ministry of the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to guard against the heretical teachings of the prosperity and poverty gospels. 

3.7. That theological education curricula should be based on the knowledge of God that is centered around the faith once delivered to us, rather than rooted in secular philosophy.

3.8. That all Gafcon leaders, at all levels, are to make concerted efforts to disseminate information and keep the various dioceses and congregations informed of the happenings in the Anglican world.

3.9. That bishops are to replicate the holistic ministry of Christ: preaching, teaching, healing and welfare, reaching the unreached through the body of Christ.

3.10. That bishops are to watch out for the pitfalls in the episcopal ministry by living a life of accountability, through proper financial planning and quality leadership style.

3:11. That leadership of the church at all levels should take heed to themselves by regular re-examination of the stages of their spiritual journey.

3:12. That bishops and other church leaders are to engage in peace and relationship building through skillful and healthy conflict resolution.

3:13. That while we all accept that fact that some measure of stress is needed to accomplish set goals, bishops are to live healthy lives by properly managing stress through proven coping mechanisms.

3.14. That all faithful Christians reflect on and put in practice the message of the Book of Hebrews.

4.0. Conclusion

4.1. Motion for a vote of thanks.

• To all Gafcon leadership.
• To all the staff.
• The secretariat.
• Staff of Jumuia.
• Invited Guests.
• Anglican Church of Kenya/ leadership.