The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals
The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals are a theological paper written by IASCUFO offering a framework for fostering Christian Unity and maintaining communion. The paper makes recommendations for updating how the Anglican Communion describes itself and encourages a ‘maximal sharing in leadership’.
The proposals seek to reflect the diversity and breadth of the worldwide Anglican Communion, ‘to account for changes of the last century’. They are also intended to help Anglican churches navigate difference and divisions, upholding the call of all Christians to sustain the unity of the Church.
Read the Proposals
There are the key documents to read in relation to The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals.
The work and thinking of The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals on the identity and structures of the Anglican Communion remind us that the Church is called to navigate differences in the light of Christ’s call to unity. The proposal also seek to respond faithfully to the fast-changing Anglican Communion in a post-colonial age. As we prepare for ACC, I look forward to sharing the fruit of IASCUFO’s labours as presented in The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals. In the power of God’s Spirit, I pray that we may have the courage and honesty to attend to deeply held disagreements within our communion, with the conviction and obedience to respond to Christ’s call.
The Anglican Consultative Council commissioned IASCUFO’s work in 2023. The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals are the result of international collaboration, representing diverse voices from around the Communion. They are offered to strengthen our global Anglican family. I pray that they will be received with prayerful consideration in the months ahead.
In a fractured world, and an often divided church, the Anglican Communion is such a profound gift. As I begin my ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury, I am so grateful for this global community of Anglicans, all bound by our shared faith in Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to spending time at the Anglican Consultative Council with bishops, clergy and laity from across the world, celebrating our common ministry, enriching one another’s faith, and looking for new ways to walk together. In this spirit of collaboration, I return to my favourite proverb: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’. I believe that by working together, and with God’s help, the Anglican Communion can offer good news to a world in great need. I also look forward to considering IASCUFO’s Nairobi-Cairo Proposals, as we seek to respond to God’s call for the Church to be one and explore ways of walking together to the highest degree possible.
As we navigate the complexities of our future as Anglicans, we will do well to remember the importance of empathy, understanding, and collaboration. IASCUFO’s Nairobi-Cairo Proposals is a historical document for such a time as this. It lays the groundwork to continue in fellowship. Even in moments of disagreement, there is always an opportunity for dialogue and mutual respect. I pray for open hearts and minds in seeking common ground and solutions that benefit us all.
The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals exhort us as churches and as a Communion to ‘wait for one another,’ and to seek, under the Spirit’s guidance, the highest form of communion possible among us. The proposals give us the next steps forward, a glimpse of a new, more diverse Communion that will nurture our churches in the midst of serious division. May it be a sign of healing, of reconciliation, and renewal!
