Adapted from ACNS
A task group has been appointed to maintain conversation among the primates of the Anglican Communion, as requested during the Primates’ Gathering and Meeting at Canterbury Cathedral in January.
The Most Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, confirmed during the recent Anglican Consultative Council’s meeting in Lusaka that the group had been established. The Anglican Communion Office has now confirmed the group’s members.
It includes seven primates, drawn from across the globe, a suffragan bishop, a provincial secretary, and the former vice chairwoman of the Anglican Consultative Council.
The group will meet together at least once each year; with additional web-based meetings. Its charge includes working out “modalities for the implementation of the requests from the primates” and providing regular briefings to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The members of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s task group are:
- The Most Rev. Richard Clarke, Primate of the Church of Ireland
- The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church
- The Rt. Rev. Govada Dyvasirvadam, Moderator of the Church of South India
- The Most Rev. Ian Ernest, Primate of the Province of the Indian Ocean
- The Most Rev. Philip Freier, Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia
- The Most Rev. Ng Moon Hing, Primate of South East Asia
- The Rev. Canon Rosemary Mbogo, Provincial Secretary of the Anglican Church of Kenya
- The Rt. Rev. Linda Nicholls, Suffragan Bishop of Toronto in the Anglican Church of Canada, former vice chairwoman of the ACC
- Canon Elizabeth Paver of the Church of England
- The Rt. Rev. Paul Sarker, Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh
The primates asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to establish the group as part of their commitment to walk together despite deep differences.
The primates asked for the group “with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognizing the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ.”
Abp. Idowu-Fearon will serve the group as secretary. No date has been set for the group’s first meeting.
