Anglican Communion News Service

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion have announced the membership of an important new commission, following extensive consultation with the Provinces of the Communion around the world. The Chair is the Most Revd Bernard Ntahoturi, Primate of the Anglican Church of Burundi.

The text of the Ridley Cambridge Draft of the Covenant received strong support at the recent ACC meeting in Jamaica. However concern was expressed that Section 4 had not received the same degree of Provincial consideration that Sections 1-3 had. ACC-14 proposed that Provinces be given time to consider Section 4, that a small Working Group be set up to consider adjustment to Section 4...

Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion has announced that the ACO is seeking to appoint a Director for Unity Faith and Order. The Inter Anglican Standing Commission for Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) was mandated by the Joint Standing Committee last November and will absorb the work undertaken by the previous Theological and Doctrinal Commission and The Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams reminds Christians that belief in God is about living in the reality of faith and the unselfish life, and not about opinions or philosophical proofs. In his Easter sermon delivered at Canterbury Cathedral, Dr Williams identifies St Paul as an early example of someone living the brave reality of faith, putting his life at risk for the sake of his belief and witness to the resurrection:

The Covenant Design Group (CDG) met under the chairmanship of the Most Revd Drexel Gomez, former Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies, between 29th March and 2nd April, 2009, in Ridley Hall, Cambridge, at the invitation of the Principal, the Revd Canon Andrew Norman, former Representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Covenant Design Group. We are grateful for the warm welcome received.

Following the Report of the Windsor Continuation Group to the Archbishop of Canterbury (which was published at the Primates Meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, in February 2009) the initial group of Pastoral Visitors called for by the Windsor Continuation Group in their Report and commended by the Primates Meeting in their Communiqué (para 15) met for a briefing session at Virginia Theological Seminary from 25-28 February.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, have launched a joint appeal to help counter the humanitarian crisis and deteriorating political situation in Zimbabwe. The Archbishops’ appeal for Zimbabwe highlights the support needed by churches, which are struggling to feed the hungry and heal the sick, and are suffering alongside their communities.

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Canon Kenneth Kearon writes: ‘I want to bring to your attention the request of the Primates and Moderators of the Anglican Communion, at their recent meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, that Anglican Churches world-wide observe 25th February, Ash Wednesday, as a day of prayer and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe.

The Archbishop of Canterbury yesterday awarded Deirdre Martin and Canon James Rosenthal the Cross of St Augustine at a reception at Lambeth Palace. This award has historically been awarded to clergy and lay people of foreign churches who have contributed conspicuously to advancing friendly relations with the churches of the Anglican Communion.

The International Anglican Women's Network (IAWN) will conduct its first formal meeting Feb. 22-27, 2009, at the Tutu Center at General Theological Seminary in New York City. Building on the strong presence of the IAWN during the 2008 Lambeth Conference, women representing 26 of the 38 Anglican provinces are expected.

The Revd Canon Gregory Cameron, 49, who is Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, was chosen by members of the Electoral College of the Church in Wales meeting on Jan 5th at St Asaph Cathedral to succeed Bishop John Davies as Bishop of St Asaph.The announcement was made by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, at the west door of the cathedral on the first day of the meeting.

It’s always a relief to have a bit of space after the busyness of Christmas to relax at home and mull over the past 12 months and the hopes and possibilities of the year ahead. The prospect of this coming year, though, is one that produces a lot of anxiety and insecurity for countless people. There are fears about disappearing savings, lost jobs, house repossessions and worse. While the headlines are often about the big figures, it’s the human cost that makes it real for us.

In his Christmas sermon at Canterbury Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury says that one of the lessons of the coming of Christ is that people shouldn't waste time waiting for larger-than-life heroes to bring comprehensive and total solutions to the ills of the world.

It was Christmas Eve and they kept coming, a steady flow, mostly young and obviously many were from far away places. There was no room for me, well, not in the inn, but rather, no room in the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, known lovingly as Westminster Abbey. They were standing everywhere. It was a stupendous vision of humanity - incarnation! 

The Joint Committee, which is composed of a delegation from the Anglican Communion and from Al Azhar Al Sharif held its seventh annual meeting in Cairo on 18-19 November 2008 corresponding to 20-21 Dhu Al-Qa'da 1429. This was held in accord with the agreement signed at Lambeth Palace on 30 January 2002 by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has recorded a video message to mark the 20th annual World AIDS day on December 1st 2008. The video sees the Archbishop talk about the Church’s worldwide involvement in care and education surrounding HIV and AIDS, and calls for faith leaders to ‘encourage and support’ what is being done by listening to those who work on the front lines

Primates, bishops, lay people from the various regions of the Anglican Communion are meeting this week at the Anglican Communion Office and Lambeth Palace in London. The group meets on a regular basis between official gatherings of their larger meetings.

Bishop Bakare from Zimbabwe was named winner of a Swedish human rights prize for "having given voice to the fight against oppression." Bishop Sebastian Bakare was also cited for his work to promote "freedom of speech and of opinion in a difficult political situation."

The Covenant Design Group publish today the Lambeth Commentary, which sets out the responses of the bishops at the Lambeth Conference in their discussions of the St Andrew's Draft for an Anglican Covenant.  The Commentary was complied by the Covenant Design Group at their recent meeting in Singapore and also sets out some of the initial thinking of the CDG in response to the comments of the bishops.

Web users looking for support during the current financial situation have boosted traffic to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice by over 70 per cent, and increased visitor numbers to the Church’s online prayer page by more than a quarter.

Tributes have come in from many Anglican leaders. ACNS shares statements from Dr Rowan Williams and others. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, joined some 600 Anglicans for a pilgrimage at world-renowned shrine of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes in the south of France. The five day visit was sponsored by the Society of Mary and the Society of Our Lady of Walsingham

A series of 10 video journals featuring more than 30 bishops from around the world attending the 2008 Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion are now available for viewing at Trinity Wall Street's website.

Lisbon’s Cathedral Church of St Paul was over flowing with people on Saturday as the Lusitanian Church in Portugal celebrated the 50th anniversary of the consecration of their first bishop. The Lusitanian Church is an extra provincial diocese to the Archbishop of Canterbury with its Anglican Communion roots coming from the Church of Ireland, the Episcopal Church USA and Igreja Anglican Episcopal of Brazil.

The Rt Revd Dehqani Tafti Hassan Barnaba, Bishop in Iran 1961-1990 and Confessor of the Faith, on 29th April 2008 died peacefully at home in Oakham - England, surrounded by his loving wife and daughters.

The latest issue of AWNN is now online. The theme of the current edition digests the recent Joint Standing Committee Meeting of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council (JSC), held at the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) in London

[ACNS Special Report] Anglicans/Episcopalians around the world will join with other Christians in observing the most solemn time in the church’s calendar, Holy Week, beginning Sunday, 16 March. The week marks the last days in the life of Christ and celebrates his glorious resurrection in the Easter Triduum (Three Days).