Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ.
It has been a great joy to gather this weekend in Recife, Brazil, with leaders of the Global Anglican Communion to celebrate the installation of the Very Revd Gabriel Moreira Uchoa Cavalcanti as Dean of the Catedral Anglicana do Espírito Santo.
The service was filled with joy and hope as Archbishop Miguel Uchoa Cavalcanti passed the mantle of leadership of the Cathedral to his son, Gabriel.
This celebration also marked 30 years since Archbishop Miguel planted the church in 1996 with just 30 or so people.
We give thanks to God for all that has grown from those humble beginnings, as churches have been planted, leaders raised up, dioceses multiplied, and the Anglican Church in Brazil established as a faithful and growing province.
Yet amidst the joy of our celebrations was a recognition that these 30 years also tell a story of hope through significant trials.
Faithfulness to the authority of Scripture has come at great cost for our brothers and sisters in Brazil, including the painful loss of their former institutional home and church buildings.
But the Lord did not abandon his people.
When faithful Anglicans in Brazil found themselves separated from their former provincial structures, Gafcon stood alongside them, providing recognition, encouragement and a home within the global Anglican family.
The Diocese of Recife became an extra-provincial diocese of Gafcon, before multiplying through God’s grace and gospel growth to become the Anglican Church in Brazil in 2018, with Archbishop Miguel as its first Archbishop and Primate.
This is a powerful reminder of why Gafcon, now the Global Anglican Communion, has been so important for faithful Anglicans throughout the world.
As we sang together in Recife, we were reminded that the suffering and sacrifice of faithful individuals and churches have not been in vain.
Our hope is not in institutions, buildings or human strength, but in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Once again, we were reminded of those precious words which have characterised our fellowship over many years: You are not alone.
During our time in Recife, members of the Global Anglican Council also met for important discussions as we continue the transition and development of the Global Anglican Communion.
I ask you to pray for us as we seek the Lord’s wisdom and guidance for the important work ahead.
I am also delighted to announce that the G27 Prayer Conference will be held here in Recife from 20–23 April 2027.
This invitation-only gathering will bring together lay people from across the Global Anglican Communion to fall on our knees together in prayer for the glory of God, the proclamation of the gospel, and the growth and strengthening of our global fellowship.
We look forward to sharing further details about G27 in the weeks ahead.
Please continue to pray for Archbishop Miguel, Dean Gabriel, the Anglican Church in Brazil, and the whole Global Anglican Communion.
I also thank God for the generosity of those whose giving enables this important global ministry, including bringing leaders together personally for prayer, fellowship and encouragement.
Thirty years after a small group of faithful Christians stepped out in faith, we have been reminded again that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.
To him alone be the glory.
Grace and peace,
The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda
Chairman of the Global Anglican Council
Monday, 24th August, 2026
