Anglican Communion News Service

The Chair of the Anglican Consultative Council and Standing Committee Bishop James Tengatenga of Malawi and Vice Chair Elizabeth Paver have made the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the Archbishop of Canterbury

It has been a great privilege to work with Archbishop Rowan Williams for so many years. Archbishop Rowan has been the President of the Anglican Consultative Council and Focus of Unity for the Anglican Communion for a decade. His innate empathetic caring for all people and situations together with his deeply rooted spirituality have enabled him to steer both the Church of England and the Anglican Communion through some very troubled waters with patience and sensitivity.

Always approachable, always available, he has embodied the best of the position of Archbishop of Canterbury as it relates to the Anglican Communion. This was perhaps witnessed most recently in his visit to the Church of the Province of Central Africa—particularly to Zimbabwe where he and other Primates demonstrated that Anglicans suffering persecution in that country were not alone.

While we are sad he is leaving at the end of this year and shall miss his leadership, we are delighted that he has been elected as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. Both of us wish him and his family well for this next stage in their lives.

We also look forward to hearing his wise counsel at the 15th gathering of the Anglican Consultative Council in New Zealand in November when representatives of the whole Anglican Communion will be able to express their thanks and good wishes for his future work and ministry.