Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

By Mike Brooks, USPG

The new Chief Executive of the Anglican mission agency USPG has pledged her commitment to supporting capacity building in the world church.

Mrs Janette O’Neill made the statement while speaking to delegates at USPG’s three-day annual conference this week (June 20-22).

She said: ‘USPG is a church to church society. This is the basis of our relationship with the world church and there’s a great deal we want to do to strengthen our partners in their mission.

‘USPG is focusing on working to help our partners achieve financial sustainability to meet their core costs, while standing behind leaders and bishops as they challenge governments in matters of injustice.’

Janette joined USPG in May from Episcopal Relief and Development, in USA, where she was a senior programme officer with responsibility for Africa.

During the conference, delegates learned about USPG’s focus on leadership development and health as a key strategy for helping partner churches to grow their own capacity.

Endorsing this approach were keynote speakers Bishop Mouneer Anis, of Egypt, and Bishop Trevor Mwamba, of Botswana.

Janette said: ‘It is so important to be aware of the authentic and deeply relevant role that the church can play in development.

‘The church is a key agent of change that can make a huge difference over many decades.

‘The more USPG can tell this story, the more I hope people will want to join with us in helping to address humanitarian issues; I want people to know that, in USPG, they have a real choice in seeing justice happen.’