The Anglican Consultative Committee’s standing committee has authorized a study of ACC membership and support.
Members of the standing committee said the group will include primates, bishops, other clergy, and laity. The group will recommend how the ACC can better reflect the membership of Anglican churches across the world. The group is expected to make recommendations to the next meeting of ACC in 2019.
Members of the standing committee, who met in London this week, heard that more than a dozen provinces were not making regular contributions to the Communion. The new group will look at introducing greater clarity about contributions and finance.
The Most Rev. Paul Kwong, the ACC’s chairman, said the working group will take account of concerns among Anglican provinces.
“These are important issues for the whole Communion, and we are taking care to make sure that we hear what God is saying and get this right,” he said. “Providing a contribution to the Communion is an important part of the life of our family. This is not about rules and regulations. It is about relationships. The contributions enable everyone within the Communion to grow and flourish. For example, they enable us to focus on important work such as mission. It means everyone has a stake in what is happening across our Communion.”
He stressed that the size of contributions was not the most important issue. “What is more significant is that a contribution is made.”
Adapted from ACNS
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
