The Iglesia Anglicana de Chile will become the 40th province of the Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will travel to Santiago in November to inaugurate the new province.
Both the Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council’s Standing Committee and a majority of Anglican Communion’s primates confirmed that the diocese should be given provincial status.
The decision to become an independent Anglican province follows a sustained period of growth in the church, and is intended to make further growth easier.
Bishop Héctor (Tito) Zavala Muñoz will become primate of the new province on Nov. 4 during a service at Grange School in Santiago.
“That Sunday will be a historic, unique and unrepeatable day for our Chilean church, the Province of South America and the Anglican Communion,” Bishop Zavala said. “We will have several visits that will accompany us: primates, archbishops, bishops, pastors, academics, missionary societies, etc. They will come from Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia-Oceania and the Americas.”
“I look forward to my visit to Chile in November to preach and preside at the inauguration of the new Province of Iglesia Anglicana de Chile, which will become the 40th province of the Anglican Communion,” Archbishop Justin Welby said.
“It has been inspiring to see the flourishing of the Church in Chile under the leadership Bishop Tito Zavala, in particular its commitment to evangelism, growth through church planting and discipleship of young people.
“I look forward to welcoming Bishop Tito as a fellow primate, and ask for prayers for him and God’s blessing on all of the people of Chile at this significant moment for the life of the Church in the country.”
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.
