Laurent Mbanda

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda is the current leader of Gafcon (Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans), a conservative movement within the Anglican Communion. He is newsworthy because Gafcon recently met in Abuja, Nigeria, where they were considering electing a rival leader to the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, they ultimately pulled back from this plan. This decision is significant in the context of ongoing tensions within the Anglican Communion, particularly regarding issues like same-sex marriage and the ordination of women. Some African church leaders have expressed dismay at the appointment of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Mbanda's leadership of Gafcon places him at the center of these debates and makes his actions and decisions relevant to the future direction of the Anglican Church.