The Rt Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells, Bishop of Dorking in the Church of England’s Diocese of Guildford has been appointed to a newly established post of Bishop for Episcopal Ministry in the Anglican Communion to begin in January 2023.

“Having first encountered the diversity and dynamism of the Anglican Communion as my vocation emerged in the Church of Uganda in the 1980s, I am awed by the sense of God’s invitation to this newly created role.” said Bishop Jo Bailey Wells this week.

Bishop Jo will energise the work of bishops in the Anglican Communion between the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference gathering, which this year drew together 650 bishops from around the world for worship, prayer, Bible studies, and fellowship alongside discussions on a range of issues facing the church and the world. It produced calls for the Communion with action plans for the Communion’s bishops on mission and evangelism, discipleship, climate change and the environment, science and faith, safeguarding, and human dignity.

2022 Lambeth Conference participants reported that relationships across the Anglican Communion were rejuvenated as a result of the meeting and its themes, including a boost to the Anglican Communion’s Companion Link programme – where mutually sustaining partnerships form between individual dioceses in different parts of the world.

More than 200 bishops at the conference expressed the desire to create new formal Companion Links as part of their commitment to “Walk Together”.

When the Anglican Communion's Standing Committee met in London early this October, it instituted the new Bishop for Episcopal Ministry in the Anglican Communion to maintain that momentum from Lambeth.

From next January, Bishop Jo Bailey Wells will begin work to foster a collaborative, engaged, enriched fellowship among the bishops of the Anglican Communion, inspiring ever greater companionship, learning and interchange between provinces.

“This will build on the outcomes of Lambeth ’22, taking forward the Lambeth Conference Calls as well as the renewed relationships between bishops across varying provinces,” said Anglican Communion Secretary General, Rt Rev Anthony Poggo.

The Secretary General looks forward to Bishop Jo’s work equipping bishops for ministry, not only supporting them in their particular contexts, but in how to most effectively engage in the wider Communion.

“I am delighted that Bishop Jo will be joining us at the Anglican Communion Office, as we take forward the outcomes of the 2022 Lambeth Conference.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby echoed the energy expressed by bishops reflecting on Lambeth.

“This year’s Lambeth Conference has been remarkable in renewing friendships, relationships and connections across the Anglican Communion. The appointment of Bishop Jo Bailey Wells to this new post of Bishop for Episcopal Ministry in the Anglican Communion will take advantage of the renewed determination of bishops to unite in living out our call – in our many cultures – to be God’s Church for God’s World." said Archbishop Justin.  

This year’s Lambeth Conference, delayed from its original 2020 setting because of the Covid-19 pandemic was designed in three phases, two of which have now concluded. Phase one was "Listening together" –  carried out online and Phase two was "Walking together" – the in-person Lambeth Conference. The new Bishop for Episcopal Ministry will take the lead to deliver Phase three of the Lambeth Conference work, which is "Witnessing together" – where bishops and their dioceses take the Lambeth Calls forward for discussion and potential implementation in their dioceses in partnership with Anglicans around the world.

 The Archbishop of Canterbury Most Rev Justin Welby is keen to see Bishop Jo lead the Bishops to bring the Lambeth calls into the local reception phase.

 “I know Jo well through her time as my former chaplain. She is an inspirational and deeply committed disciple of Jesus Christ, and I know that she is well placed to take on this new ministry in service to the Anglican Communion.”