Anglican Consultative Council meetings are important not only for those attending but also for the person in the pew, says a New Zealand delegate, Archdeacon Turi Hollis. 

ACC-15 will meet in Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland, from October 27 to November 7.

Archdeacon Hollis, from the Maori Anglican Diocese of Te Waipounamu, believes the Anglican whanau could hardly exist without such meetings.

“In the New Zealand Prayer Book/He Karakia Mihinare, one of the Eucharist services begins: E te Whanau a te Karaiti, ko tatou nei tana tinana e mahi nei i te ao. (We are the family of Christ; we are his body at work in this world)," Archdeacon Hollis noted.

"For me, the ACC is a gathering of my Anglican brothers, sisters and friends from across the world. How can a whanau exist if it does not get together when it can?

“We live in a big world and it is not possible for all Anglicans to hui, but the man and woman in the pews should not be forgotten. After all, they are also members of te Whanau a te Karaiti (the family of Christ) just as we are who have the privilege of being on ACC.

"This is why, despite all the diverse theological, biblical and political views that can be found in any whanau, the ACC needs to maintain and sustain the bonds that tie our Anglican whanau together.”

Archdeacon Hollis is one of more than 80 ordained and lay ACC delegates from the 38 Provinces of the Anglican Communion.

ACC is one of the Instruments of Communion, along with the Lambeth Conference and Primates’ Meeting. It convenes every two or three years and is a pivotal forum of reflection and fellowship for the Communion. 

This year’s meeting has an agenda anchored on daily worship and Bible study.

Topics include the Anglican Communion Covenant, mission across the Communion, and the official Communion networks.

Presentations will also cover global ecumenical relationships, communications across the Communion, and such projects as The Bible in the Life of Church and Continuing Indaba.

Three public presentations at the cathedral will be chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, on gender-based violence, the environment and Christian witness.

From October 27, news from ACC-15 will be available via the Anglican Communion website www.anglicancommunion.org as well as the Taonga website. The ACNS coverage will include Twitter (#acc15) and Facebook feeds, podcasts and photos.