The Anglican Communion’s Standing Committee which comprises six archbishops, two bishops, a priest and five lay people, has gathered for its first in-person annual meeting in three years.

The meeting reviewed work and received reports on mission directions for the Communion meeting in person at the Anglican Communion Office in Notting Hill and at Lambeth Palace in London, with three members joining the meeting online. 

Leaders of the Standing Committee Archbishop of Canterbury Most Rev Justin Welby and ACC Vice-Chair Canon Margaret Swinson were there in person while Archbishop of Hong Kong and ACC Chair Most Rev Paul Kwong joined online. Archbishop of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia Archbishop Philip Richardson attended the meeting in London in his role as Oceania and East Asia member for the Primates' Standing Committee. 

The Standing Committee meeting began with a Eucharistic service in the Anglican Communion Office chapel where Communion leaders commissioned the new Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Anthony Poggo. 

The Standing Committee opening service was also attended by Her Excellency Agnes Oswaha, the Ambassador of South Sudan to the United Kingdom, in support of South Sudanese Bishop Anthony Poggo as he took up his new role.

Anglican Communion Standing Committee members reflected on the operations and outcomes of the Lambeth Conference in late July-August this year, received and discussed updates from Anglican Communion Office teams on different areas of mission supported by the Anglican Consultative Council. They also heard reports on aid and development updates from the Anglican Alliance. 

Amongst the Anglican Communion Commissions and Networks that reported to Standing Committee, one highlight was the new Anglican Communion Evangelism and Discipleship Commission's target to achieve one million new church plants across the Communion in ten years. The new Commission’s brief is to facilitate a movement of discipleship and disciple-making in all provinces, dioceses and parishes. 

The Standing Committee also received a proposal to develop an international Anglican schools’ network.

Secretary General Anthony Poggo reported it had been a hopeful and uplifting meeting.

“Standing Committee members arrived in London full of joy and very excited about the state of our Anglican Communion. I think that they – like most of us – are still buoyed up by the very successful Lambeth Conference.”

Bishop Anthony said members of the Standing Committee had experienced Lambeth as a time to rejuvenate the Anglican Communion and strengthen the relationships which make up the Communion. They also welcomed the mission-oriented focus of the Lambeth calls.

One key task for the Communion’s Standing Committee going forward is to consider how to bring the mission focus of the Lambeth calls to the next plenary meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, which will take place in Accra, Ghana in February 2023.

The full list of Anglican Communion Standing Committee members can be found here.