Evangelism and Discipleship Commission

The Anglican Communion Commission on Evangelism and Discipleship (ACCED) exists to empower the global church in sharing the good news of the Christian faith.

Uniting the Plant Anglican (a church planting network) and Jesus-Shaped Life networks, our mission is to encourage, activate, and catalyse a dynamic movement of discipleship with church planting across every Province.

See our resources

Purpose

Operating under the authority of the Anglican Consultative Council, ACCED addresses twin imperatives of the Christian faith: Evangelism – sharing the good news of the Gospel – and Discipleship – growing mature followers of Jesus in church communities. 

The Commission is guided by three priorities:

  • Encourage: Validating and supporting vital mission work across the 42 provinces, ensuring local dioceses remain connected by strong “bonds of affection.”
  • Activate: Awaken dormant potential, providing the spark required to restart missional engines in contexts where church planting or intentional discipleship has stalled.
  • Catalyse: Facilitate the transfer of best practices and resources in mission, to turn static projects into a dynamic, global movement.

The Commission brings together representatives from different regions of the Communion to ensure a truly global perspective. These distinguished scientists, bishops, and theologians collaborate to lead this vital conversation.

  • The Right Revd Datuk Ng Moon HingCo Chair · Retired Archbishop, Church of the Province of South East Asia; Diocese of West Malaysia
  • The Right Revd Dr Ric ThorpeCo Chair · Church of England, Diocese of London (Area Bishop of Islington)
  • The Revd Bernard BisokeMember · Anglican Church of Congo – Diocese of Boga
  • Ven Canon Robert SihubwaMember · Church of the Province of Central Africa – Diocese of Lusaka
  • The Right Revd Martin Breytenbach (retired)Member · Anglican Church of Southern Africa – Diocese of St Mark the Evangelist
  • The Most Revd Nicholas DraysonMember · Church of England – Diocese of Salisbury
  • The Revd Capt Zadock OluochMember · Anglican Church of Kenya – Diocese of All Saints Cathedral
  • The Right Revd Andrew ForsterMember · Church of Ireland – Diocese of Derry and Raphoe
  • The Revd Dr Paul SwarupMember · Church of North India – Diocese of Delhi
  • The Right Revd Frenzel PiludenMember · Episcopal Church in the Philippines – Diocese of Santiago
  • The Right Revd Eleanor SandersonMember · Church of England – Diocese of York (Area Bishop of Hull)
  • The Revd Richard BoatengMember · Church of the Province of West Africa – Diocese of Kumasi
  • The Right Revd Dr Susan BellMember · Anglican Church of Canada – Diocese of Niagara
  • The Revd Dr Christy CapperMember · Anglican Church of Australia – Diocese of Perth
  • The Revd Orionzi Nzua EmmanuelMember · Anglican Church of Congo – Diocese of Aru
  • The Right Revd Elizabeth Awut NgorMember · Anglican Church of South Sudan – Diocese of Rumbek Center
  • The Revd Dr Paul SiakiMember · Anglican Church of Southern Africa – Diocese of Johannesburg
  • Mr Fraser MzunguMember · Igreja Anglicana de Moçambique e Angola (IAMA) – Diocese of Niassa
  • The Revd Emma AcklandMember · Church in Wales – Diocese of Llandaff
  • Ven Canon Arthur CopemanMember · Anglican Church of Australia – Diocese of Newcastle
  • The Right Revd Joao PeixotoMember · Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil – Diocese of Recife
  • The Right Revd Dr Gaula GivenMember · Anglican Church of Tanzania – Diocese of Kondoa
  • The Rt Revd Daniel GutierrezMember

Strategic Priorities

The commission is currently focused on a transition from the ‘Season of Intentional Discipleship’ (running until 2026) to ‘Vision36’, a proposal for a new decade-long initiative to grow discipleship and plant or revitalise one million churches by 2036 This will be discussed at ACC-19..

There will be three steps:

  • Planting seeds: The commission will work with bishops, clergy and laity to identify good practice and uncover robust Anglican theology to support the vision. Storytelling will be vital for building momentum and learning from different contexts.
  • Cultivating growth: The commission will support contextual learning, share resources and ‘train trainers’, so that disciple-making and church planting practices are embedded in reproducible ways.
  • Working for the harvest: The commission will encourage every disciple to help another disciple grow; every church to plant another congregation or be revitalised. It will work across tribal, language, generational and other boundaries where possible. Dioceses will be encouraged to share progress and celebrate all that God is doing.

Key Resources:

Find helpful materials about mission and evangelism and working for a ‘Jesus Shaped Life’.

Latest News:

Discover recent stories exploring about church planting, outreach and the work of the commission.

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