Resolutions - ACC17

A. The Marks of Mission

A17:01 Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion

The Anglican Consultative Council

affirms the whole person formation and community engagement experiences upheld in the Five Marks of Mission and engaged by the Anglican colleges, universities and schools worldwide
recognises that the Anglican identity of its colleges and universities requires mutual support from both the church and the academy
encourages the establishment of the emerging Network of Anglican Schools across the Communion
calls on Member Churches, dioceses and parishes to identify, cultivate and support their Anglican Schools and Anglican Colleges and Universities.

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A17:02 International Anglican Women’s Network

The Anglican Consultative Council:

gives thanks for the work of the International Anglican Women’s Network
affirms its ministry as a global voice for Anglican women and connecting women across the Anglican Communion in order to build up collaborative work at all levels
welcomes the strengthening of ministries of women in God’s world to ensure that women are influential and equal participants throughout the Anglican Communion
requests Member Churches:

to support the International Anglican Women’s Network
by ACC18, to nominate a woman to serve as a provincial link to the Network, liaising with the Network’s Steering Group.

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A17:03 Equipping God's People for Gender Justice

The Anglican Consultative Council:

affirms that gender justice and equality are an inherent part of intentional discipleship embedded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and rooted in Christian values of human dignity, justice, and love
recommits itself to ACC resolutions:

16.02 and 16.03 affirming the importance of mutual empowerment of girls and boys, women and men, in creating mutually just gender relations
15.07 calling for the elimination of gender-based and domestic violence, and
14.33 and 13.31 supporting equal representation of women in decision-making bodies, as signs of intentional and equitable discipleship

requests Member Churches

through their theological colleges, seminaries and training programmes, to promote the study materials ‘God’s Justice: Just relationships between Women and Men, Girls and Boys’ as an educational resource
foster awareness of the need for mutual respect and treatment of women and men as central to intentional Christian discipleship
involve men and boys as well as women and girls in the study and practice of building mutually just and equitable relationships in families, churches, and other communities
encourage shared decision-making and leadership
report to ACC18 on progress made.

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A17:04 International Anglican Family Network

The Anglican Consultative Council:

welcomes the work of the International Anglican Family Network (IAFN) across the Communion to celebrate the God-given potential of the family as a source of thriving relationships, identity, belonging, discipleship and reconciliation
commends the Network for facilitating the 2018 regional consultation for Central Africa entitled 'Families Under Pressure: How can churches respond?' and the report published in the March 2019 edition of the IAFN newsletter
calls on the Member Churches to engage with the conclusions of the consultation by:

raising awareness of the pressures on families and developing an inclusive approach to supporting families who may be fragile and in need
designating persons at every level of the church who will advocate for the family as precious in itself and as a place for unfolding the Gospel, and encourage their church to include the family as a vital part of its mission narratives and strategies
valuing young people’s contributions to the mission of the church, their leadership gifts, and especially their unique experience as 'digital natives' and their potential to use technology to the glory of God

requests IAFN to:

gather and share information and stories about action taken in Anglican churches to help families respond to current pressures
report to ACC18 on progress.

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A17:05 Anglican Communion Environmental Network

The Anglican Consultative Council:

recognises that there is a global climate emergency
encourages Member Churches to make the Fifth Mark of Mission, ‘To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth’, a living testament to our faith, and calls upon Member Churches to:

promote a day during the Season of Creation as a day of public repentance
develop an action plan and resources for sustainable living at individual, parish, diocesan and provincial level; including policies and procedures to minimise waste, increase use of renewable energies, and incorporate creation care into liturgical practice
prepare a Lenten Fast for Creation
hold strategic planning conferences on the Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change, ensuring the involvement of Indigenous, youth, and women’s voices, and to report back to ACC18
identify environmental and climate-related threats in their context and to develop or adapt existing tools on disaster preparedness and mitigation.

encourages the organisers of the Lambeth Conference 2020 to make the conference as environmentally sustainable as possible.

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A17:06 Climate resilience

The Anglican Consultative Council:

celebrates the work undertaken by some Member Churches and the Anglican Communion Environmental Network to shift messaging and action from climate vulnerability to climate resilience
regrets that the ongoing impacts of climate change are yet to be adequately resourced or responded to with due seriousness or urgency by all Member Churches, and therefore commits immediately to:

recognising the important role of Indigenous/First Nation peoples’ knowledge in building resilience to climate change in communities
encouraging Member Churches to prioritise investment in resources to support education, training and activism in addressing climate change
encouraging Member Churches to identify and assist actively the most at-risk communities within the Anglican Communion
encouraging Member Churches to develop a strategy for climate-induced disaster preparedness, emergency relief and post-disaster rehabilitation

calls on the Anglican Alliance to work with the Secretary General, Anglican Communion relief and development agencies, and relevant sections of the Anglican Communion Office to coordinate an implementation report on this resolution to the Standing Committee, before ACC18.

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A17:07 Towards an Anglican Health Network

The Anglican Consultative Council requests the Secretary General to develop terms of reference for a task group to:

develop a scoping report exploring and describing the unique contribution to healthcare already made by Anglican communities worldwide.
Identify the needs and priorities for healthcare and health outcomes of the different Member Churches and regions.
identify key individuals in each Member Church prepared to contribute expertise to such a task group.
identify the potential to re-establish a sustainable and effective Anglican Health Network to address United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’, as a key mark of our Anglican mission
report to the ACC Standing Committee by Easter 2020.

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A17:08 The dignity of human beings

The Anglican Consultative Council:

notes with concern the pattern of invitations to the Lambeth Conference 2020 and requests that the Archbishop of Canterbury as a focus of unity ensures that a listening process is put in place with supportive and independent facilitation in order to hear the concerns and voices of people especially those who have felt themselves marginalized with regard to sexuality. The Archbishop of Canterbury will also be responsible for compiling all the work done in this area across the Anglican Communion since Lambeth 1998 and reporting to the Standing Committee and ACC18
requests the Archbishop of Canterbury to look at all issues of discrimination across the Anglican Communion and make recommendations to the Standing Committee and to report back to ACC18.

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A17:09 Theological education in the Anglican Communion

The Anglican Consultative Council:

encourages the building of educational and training networks of mutual learning and friendship across the Anglican Communion especially through putting in place companionship links between theological colleges, courses and schemes, modelled on the diocesan companionship link model
supports the commissioning of study materials on under-resourced areas of the theological education curriculum across the Anglican Communion, to be placed on the Anglican Communion website with open access for use by any college, course or local learning group.

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A17:10 The Anglican Alliance

The Anglican Consultative Council, recognising the role of the Anglican Alliance in connecting and equipping the Member Churches and agencies of the Anglican Communion in the areas of relief, development and advocacy, advancing whole-life intentional discipleship in living out the Five Marks of Mission:

affirms the deepening role of the Anglican Alliance and asks it to progress its work convening the Member Churches and agencies in responding to human need, pursuing justice and peace and safeguarding creation, including the promotion of asset-based approaches to church and community transformation
calls on individual members of ACC17 to champion participation in the Anglican Alliance’s collaborative initiatives and share good news stories about God’s holistic mission in the world, and
urges all Member Churches to support and deepen engagement in the Alliance’s regional and global initiatives and advisory bodies, with active youth participation, strengthening joint humanitarian action, sharing development learning, and engaging together in advocacy and strategic discernment of common priorities.

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A17:11 Sustainable Development Goals

The Anglican Consultative Council:

notes the significant role that was played by the Member Churches and agencies of the Anglican Communion in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals between 2000–2015
recognises the urgency and global significance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (known as Agenda 2030), as the successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals
encourages Member Churches and agencies of the Anglican Communion, in the context of their own holistic mission, to continue and extend their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through both delivery and advocacy
requests that the Secretary General reports to the Standing Committee, no later than its first meeting in 2020, on a 10-year strategy on Anglican Communion engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals.

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A17:12 Intentional discipleship

The Anglican Consultative Council:

thanks the Coordinating Group for its work on the Season of Intentional Discipleship and particularly welcomes the fresh language of ‘Living and Sharing a Jesus Shaped Life’, and
affirms and commends the emphasis upon intentional discipleship and disciple-making in the Anglican Communion Office’s strategic plan and its natural link with the focus upon Living and Sharing Jesus Shaped Life within the Season of Intentional Discipleship
requests the Mission Department to develop a resource hub to support and equip the culture change in the Anglican Communion towards intentional sharing and living a Jesus Shaped Life.

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A17:13 Recommitment to intentional discipleship

The Anglican Consultative Council recognises that intentional discipleship is a lifelong commitment, and asks the Member Churches to encourage:

further engagement with the Five Marks of Mission
the people of God to repent where they have fallen short of being true disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and amend their lives accordingly
a greater commitment of prayer for the redemption and salvation of the world and all its people.

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A17:14 The development, use and impact of nuclear weapons

The Anglican Consultative Council, recognising the growing reemergence of global tensions relating to the development and use of nuclear weapons:

reiterates past statements made by the Instruments of Communion on issues relating to the development, use and impact of nuclear weapons
laments the lack of justice for those communities most impacted by the testing of nuclear weapons
acknowledges the work of Member Churches and the World Council of Churches on issues relating to the development, use and impact of nuclear weapons
requires the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion to develop a report on the implementation of the commitments made in past resolutions
requests the Standing Committee to ensure that ACC18 develops a contemporary Anglican response to the issue of the development and use of nuclear weapons and their impact.

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A17:15 Education for young lay people

The Anglican Consultative Council, in light of economic uncertainty experienced by young Anglicans around the world and celebrating the important role of lay members of the church, encourages all Member Churches to invest in pathways to education and employment for young lay people.

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B Unity, Faith and Order

B17:01 Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III)

The Anglican Consultative Council

welcomes the publication of the Agreed Statement of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III), Walking Together on the Way: Learning to Be the Church – Local, Regional, Universal, as a shared exploration of what Anglicans and Roman Catholics can learn from one another, about our structures and processes of governance and discernment at all levels, to help us to walk together more closely in the way leading to full visible communion;
commends the Agreed Statement to the Churches of the Anglican Communion and to local Anglican–Roman Catholic dialogues and committees for study, action and response, supported by the Official Commentaries on the statement produced by Ormond Rush and James Hawkey;
affirms the continuing work of ARCIC III, building on this and other Agreed Statements, to explore Anglican and Roman Catholic approaches to discerning and articulating ethical teaching.

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B17:02 Anglican–Old Catholic International Coordinating Council (AOCICC)

The Anglican Consultative Council:

welcomes the report of the Anglican–Old Catholic International Coordinating Council, Anglicans and Old Catholics serving in Europe (2019);
commends the report to the Churches of the Anglican Communion for study, and where appropriate, action;
renews the mandate given to the Council at ACC15, asking it:

to continue to explore theologically the nature and meaning of our communion;
to promote knowledge of our churches and their relationship;
to assist the Old Catholic and Anglican bishops in Europe in their common ministry and coordinated oversight;
to encourage joint initiatives in mission in continental Europe;
to review the consistency of ecumenical agreements and dialogues of the Churches of the Anglican Communion and the Union of Utrecht;
to build on the work of previous mandates;
as guarantor of the Bonn Agreement on behalf of both Communions, to oversee plans for the commemoration of the centenary of the Bonn Agreement in 2031;
thanks the Anglican members of the Coordinating Council and requests that the Archbishop of Canterbury name the Anglican co-chair in consultation with the Secretary General, and that the Secretary General name the Anglican members in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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B17:03 Anglican–Oriental Orthodox International Commission

The Anglican Consultative Council:

welcomes the publication of the Agreed Statement of the Anglican–Oriental Orthodox International Commission, The Procession and Work of the Holy Spirit, as a shared statement of the biblical and patristic foundation of Anglican and Oriental Orthodox teaching about the Holy Spirit and an exploration of how the Holy Spirit speaks in and gives life to the Church;
commends the report to the Churches of the Anglican Communion for study, action and response;
affirms the on-going work of the Anglican–Oriental Orthodox International Commission, and the decision to explore “Authority in the Church”, asking that in this future work, attention be paid to the riches offered by the Anglican and Oriental Orthodox traditions subsequent to the patristic period.

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B17:04 Reception of Ecumenical Texts in the Anglican Communion

The Anglican Consultative Council endorses the following process for the reception of ecumenical texts in the Anglican Communion:

When any ecumenical bilateral dialogue of the Anglican Communion has completed an agreed statement, it is first sent to IASCUFO.
IASCUFO studies the agreed statement and reaches a common mind on whether it recognises the statement ‘as consonant with the faith of the Church as Anglicans have received it’. IASCUFO then prepares resources, advice, and draft recommendations to be taken to the next meeting of the ACC.
The ACC then formally welcomes the agreed statement by resolution, and commends the text, together with IASCUFO’s advice, to the Member Churches of the Anglican Communion for study, reflection and response within a timeframe set by the ACC.
At the meeting of IASCUFO immediately prior to an ACC, the members of the commission will be joined by an ACC reference group, comprising some members of the ACC for further reflection on ecumenical statements in the light of the provincial responses and any other considerations. The task of this enhanced commission will be to evaluate whether an agreed text has a sufficient level of consensus in the Member Churches for a recommendation to be made to the ACC.
The Standing Committee nominates up to 15 people to form the ACC reference group. The constitution of this group is recommended to be:

two primate members of ACC;
two bishop members of ACC;
two priest or deacon members of ACC;
two lay members of ACC;
relevant Anglican Co-Chairs of bilateral dialogue in question (e.g., with the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Methodist Council, and any other new dialogue partner).

Having obtained sufficient support from the Member Churches, IASCUFO and the ACC reference group will then invite the ACC to recognise, by resolution, an ecumenical text ‘as consonant in substance with the faith of the Church as Anglicans have received it’ and as providing ‘a sufficient basis for taking the next steps towards the reconciliation of our Churches, grounded in agreement in faith’.

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C. Governance

C17:01 Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission

The Anglican Consultative Council, recognising the failures of the past, is determined that every church in the Anglican Communion is a safe place for everyone, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults, and therefore:

approves the ‘Guidelines to enhance the safety of all persons – especially children, young people and vulnerable adults – within the provinces of the Anglican Communion’, and authorises the Standing Committee to amend the Guidelines, in consultation with the Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission
requests each Member Church and each extra-provincial Church under the direct metro-political jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury to take the following five steps:

adopt the Charter and implement the Protocol, where it has not done so;
implement the accompanying Guidelines;
report to ACC-18 on the steps taken to adopt the Charter, and to implement the Protocol and Guidelines;
appoint a representative with the responsibility of liaising with the Commission regarding the adoption of the Charter, implementation of the Protocol and the Guidelines, and the development of recommendations for the enhancement of the safety of children, young people and vulnerable adults in the Anglican Communion; and
encourage those with safe church/safeguarding responsibilities in the Member Church to join the Anglican Communion Safe Church Network.

requests the Secretary General to reconstitute the Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission with the terms of reference as approved by the Standing Committee.

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C17:02 Budget and Member Church contributions

The Anglican Consultative Council:

welcomes the preparation of an outline budget structure for 2020–25 in order to allow improved financial planning and transparency by the Anglican Communion Office (ACO)
welcomes the commitment of the ACO to seek to maximise voluntary income from sources beyond Member Churches
reaffirms ACC resolutions 10.27, 15.22 and 16.37 and calls upon all Member Churches of the Anglican Communion to contribute financially to the budget of the Anglican Consultative Council
endorses the proposed formula for contributions from Member Churches, set out in ACC17/24, paragraphs 27 to 34, establishing that measures of ecclesial size and financial capacity required within this formula should be determined by individual Member Churches
encourages all Member Churches to engage in discussion with the ACO about implementation of the proposed formula during a transition period of up to three years (2020–2022), and
equires the Secretary General to report annually on implementation of the formula to the Standing Committee and to ACC18.

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C17:03 Youth representation

The Anglican Consultative Council, recognising that the voices of young people are under-represented at all levels of the Anglican Communion:

calls on Member Churches to consider the appointment of a young person as one of its appointed members, from ACC18 onwards
encourages the inclusion of young people in the work of Anglican Communion Networks
encourages all Member Churches to include youth representation in their synods.

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C17:04 Anglican Communion Office Strategic Plan

The Anglican Consultative Council recognises that the ACO serves the Communion broadly in pursuit of its ministry (cf IASCUFO’s Symphony of Instruments), and:

approves the Strategic Plan for the Anglican Communion Office, serving the Anglican Communion and its Member Churches 2019-25
requests Member Churches to engage with the Anglican Communion Office to implement the plan
requires the Secretary General to report on the implementation of the Strategic Plan to the Standing Committee, at least annually
requires the Standing Committee to review the plan regularly and particularly following any ACC, Primates’ Meeting or Lambeth Conference, and to make such changes to the plan as the Standing Committee considers appropriate, describing and explaining these to the next ACC meeting.

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D Public Statements

D17:01 Support for Sri Lanka

The Anglican Consultative Council:

cries out in sorrow and stands in prayer alongside the people of Sri Lanka following the recent terrorist attacks, especially for the bereaved, the grieving and the injured
strongly condemns terrorist violence of any kind and against any community
expresses solidarity with all those people affected by the attacks and, with the Christian community in Sri Lanka, gives thanks for all those who care for them, and for the inter-faith expressions of moral and practical support
calls on the government of Sri Lanka, other authorities, civil society and people of faith to work with each other to counter any escalating tensions and promote the safety of all citizens of and visitors to Sri Lanka.

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D17:02 Support for South Sudan

The Anglican Consultative Council calls on Member Churches to pray for:

genuine implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution on the Conflict in South Sudan
forgiveness, reconciliation and peaceful co-existence among the South Sudanese people
support for relief and rehabilitation for internally displaced persons and refugees.

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D17:03 Support for Sudan

The Anglican Consultative Council:

declares our solidarity with the Sudanese people as they live in the midst of political uncertainty and a crisis of internally displaced people
calls for a peaceful transition to civilian democratic government and the protection of religious freedom especially for the Christian community
urges the international community to extend support for internally displaced people and their communities
asks Member churches to pray for peace and the empowerment of the vulnerable, especially women and children.

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D17:04 Support for peace in the Korean Peninsula

The Anglican Consultative Council:

expresses alarm at the continued nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, its potential to tip the geopolitical balance of the super powers in East Asia, and its inseparable relationship with world peace
urges that more attention is given to resolving the long-lasting tension between South Korea and North Korea since World War II
urges prayer that peace may prevail in the Korean Peninsula and calls on global leaders to recognise and advocate for the peace process between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the United States of America.

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D17:05 Pakistan and India

The Anglican Consultative Council:

laments that continuing tensions exist between Pakistan and India
gives thanks that the hostilities between Pakistan and India were successfully de-escalated in February 2019
implores the leaders, governments and members of civil society of both nations to pursue peace between these two nuclear powers and to break the chains of hatred and mistrust
encourages the growth of mutuality and trust in the Body of Christ for the Christian Churches of Pakistan and India.

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D17:06 Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, Southern Africa

The Anglican Consultative Council:

laments the natural and humanitarian disaster caused by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, and grieves with the people of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe
calls on the people of God within the Communion to send messages of solidarity to these affected countries and, where possible, to offer practical support through the appropriate relief agencies.

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