Report to 40th CPWI Synod meeting
Mr. Clifton Nedd
Anglican Alliance Caribbean Facilitator & Anglican Consultative Council Lay Member
29 May 2019
The Anglican Alliance
The Anglican Alliance is a creature of Lambeth Conference 2008 resolution and further endorsed by ACC 14 in Jamaica. It is incorporated as a charity owned by the ACC Standing Committee and registered in the United Kingdom.
The Anglican Alliance has a small secretariat at the ACC office in London and 6 regional facilitators across the world.
In the Caribbean, I am the Facilitator – not just for the CPWI but for all the English-speaking dioceses (Bermuda, Virgin Islands).
In the Caribbean there is a Caribbean Forum that supports me in my work. Each diocese is invited to nominate a member to the forum. Currently the following dioceses are represented:
- Guyana
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Windward Islands
- Barbados
- Virgin Islands
- Jamaica and the Cayman Islands
We hope that the other dioceses will soon appoint other members.
In 2008-2009 The Anglican Alliance began with some initial establishment and registration procedures – this included being incorporated as a charity in the UK.
2009-2011 a series of consultations were held across the world
2012-2017 we have hired staff in the regions (Facilitators), took steps to get regional priorities clarified and each region ‘moving’.
2018: The Alliance is now settling into its core role of supporting and equipping churches as they undertake work in the areas of Development, Relief, and Advocacy.
The Anglican Alliance is not a funding agency and it is not a development partner that is separate from the Churches. All of us as Anglicans a part of the Alliance whose primary role is to connect and resource us as we undertake collaborative work.
Anglican Consultative Council
The ACC held its 17th meeting in Hong Kong from April 28-May 6, 2019. A formal report will be sent to standing committee. This is my 2nd ACC meeting and I have 1 meeting left before being replaced.
Processes for Engaging ACC members
I have completed 2 of the 3 ACC meetings in my cycle of appointment.
I am concerned about the number of resource mechanisms that exist about which we have not been made aware by past ACC members. I wish to ask that the province hold accountable those it appoints to these high offices.
Although ACC members are elected by Provincial Synod, they invariably complete their provincial synod term before their ACC term has expired. As a result, the people who represent the province at ACC (one of the four Instruments of Communion) are not in the room when the synod meets. We cannot adequately carry the voices of the province if we do not hear the discussions that ought to inform our contributions at ACC.
I recommend that the standing committee consider inviting ACC members to Synod as observers or in some other appropriate capacity.
Agents of Change
The Anglican Alliance offers a course in project development and management for young people and lay church workers. This course marries project management techniques with theological perspectives and helps to prepare participants to develop and manage projects in a Christian context.
The Course is free for Anglicans and is offered as a self-taught course and as a delivered course. Dioceses that may be interested in this course should contact me.
“Anglicans” in this context only, includes any person enrolled in or employed by an Anglican School, in addition to professing Anglican Church members and workers.
Pastors and Disasters
Pastors and Disasters is a tool developed by the Episcopal Relief and Development agency. It seeks to empower clergy and lay church workers to work with communities to develop disaster preparedness and management plans, and execute these if a disaster occurs.
An adaptation workshop was held in Grenada in March – in this workshop the global tool was adapted to the Caribbean context. The next step is a diocesan workshop in Trinidad followed by possible work in Barbados. We are ready to support each of the other dioceses as soon as they indicate readiness to move forward with this work.
Climate Change
The Anglican Communion Office at the UN has advised that there is a Caribbean Consultation on displacement due to climate change. This will be held in Trinidad from June 6-7. Unfortunately, registration is closed. However, the organisers are willing to meet separately with members of the local Anglican Church on June 4 or 5 if that is desirable.
Relief Mechanism
Through our relief coordination mechanism, the Anglican Alliance has been able to connect dioceses affected by disasters (particularly hurricanes) to those who will support them in their recovery efforts.
There is a need to build a relief mechanism into the diocesan-level pastors and disasters process.
Anglican Communion
When I became the ACC member, I was taken aback by the amount of resources that are available at the communion level that are not accessed by the CPWI.
I encourage dioceses to engage deeper with the resources of the Anglican Communion Office (particularly the Mission Cluster), the Anglican Communion Website, and the Instruments of Communion.
There is a need to raise the level of awareness of the Anglican Communion within the province.
Anglican Communion Networks
There are networks of the Anglican Communion that exist to network and resource provinces working on various themes such as family, youth, safe church, peace and justice. For most of the work identified by the clusters, there is a network that can provide some support. It will be important to engage deeper with the networks.
Anglican Communion Office at the UN
The Anglican Communion has a highly respected office at the UN which is often engaged for advice on various advocacy matters. This office will be keen to hear our resolution regarding Venezuela.
Anglican Communion News Service
The ACNS has been keen to share news of the life of provinces and dioceses. The ACNS is not only interested in the news of the great events but also the ordinary life of the Church in local contexts. It is important to engage deeper with the ACNS by sharing stories with them. The Church in Jamaica has been doing this.
Personal Emergencies Fund
There is a personal emergencies fund at the Anglican Communion level. It is NOT a humanitarian medical assistance fund. It is a small fund designed to assist clergy and lay church workers who perform essential roles in their dioceses and provinces, and who have medical emergencies. It seeks to meet the funding gaps (after medical insurance, personal contributions etc), to access one-off treatment that is necessary to get them back to work after catastrophic illness. The motive of the fund is to get these persons back to work in order that they can continue to make their contributions to the life of the church. The fund makes one-off contributions and cannot contribute in instances where further future or ongoing treatment is needed. It also does not normally include spouses/children/families/relatives of clergy and church workers.
Ecumenical Texts
The ACC has passed a resolution designed to correct a longstanding failure to formally receive the conclusions of various ecumenical dialogues at the communion level. The old process involved Lambeth Conference which meets every 10 years. The new process will see ACC receiving these texts after they have been reviewed and assented to by provinces.
Lambeth Stewards Program
There is an opportunity to facilitate someone from the region participating as a steward at the Lambeth 2020 conference. This information will be passed on to the Archbishop for consideration and nomination of a young person from the region. Some scholarships will be available.
Scholarships and events
There are some recurring events, some of which can be accessed via scholarship
Seminarians – St. George’s College in Jerusalem
Young Clergy – Annual June – UK
New Bishops – Annual January (except 2020) – UK
Primates – January 2020 in the Middle East
All Bishops – Lambeth 2020
Lay people – Theology Degrees with contemporary studies (all levels) – Annual – UK
Safeguarding Commission
The ACC has approved new safeguarding guidelines. There is an intent to discuss these with provinces through a process of regional consultations. The ACC safeguarding commission hopes to have the Caribbean regional consultation in Jamaica.
The CPWI needs to nominate a member to the safeguarding commission.
If the CPWI determines to proceed with the safeguarding guidelines, there will be a need to designate a safeguarding officer for the province who is someone other than the commission member.
Messaging Consistency
As we think through our plans, it is important to consider how these messages will reach the local church. Often, the positions expressed in local congregations can be some degrees removed from the position expressed by synods.
Technology and the Church
The Church has always been at the forefront of technology. Organs were one of the most advanced and loudest technological advancements of their time. The buildings often were based on the latest technological (architectural) standards – their longevity is testifying to this reality.
Measurement tools
Many quantitative key performance indicators have been identified by the clusters. It will be important to also not loose sight of the fact that many of the outcomes we desire cannot be measured by quantitative markers such as numbers. Assessing hearts set on fire for Jesus requires qualitative measurement tools.
Diocesan Familiarization Visits
I cannot sit in Grenada and claim to represent the province. I have had diocesan familiarization visits in Jamaica and Guyana. Partial visits with follow-up needed in Trinidad, Windward Islands, and Barbados. I need to conduct visits in NECA, Belize, and Bahamas and hope that these dioceses will invite me to do such in due course. The costs of the diocesan visits are not normally borne by dioceses, although we are happy for the hosting diocese to assist with local costs like transportation to various meetings/sites, meals at meetings etc wherever appropriate.
Health and Safety
We saw the health and safety protocols instituted by the diocese of Trinidad and Tobago for the opening service. We hope that this can be rolled out throughout the province.
Thy Kingdom Come
I have given each diocese 1 copy of the Thy Kingdom Come resource. Thy Kingdom Come is a period of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost for the coming of God’s Kingdom. It is an Anglican program started by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It has now become an ecumenical activity. Since Ascension Day is tomorrow, and the program is an annual program, dioceses may want to get involved next year.
Finance
Anglican Consultative Council and World Conference of Churches have expressed gratitude for the consistency of our Provincial Contributions to their funds. It helps them with planning and maintaining their operational commitments
The Anglican Alliance is also grateful that the CPWI budget contribution has been renewed for another cycle. The Alliance covers my salary, the CPWI covers my administrative costs, the Alliance fundraises for project and travel activities.
Anglican Communion Fund
The Anglican Communion Fund of the Archbishop of Canterbury exists to support provinces in any area of endeavour that the Archbishop determines is in the interest of promoting the objectives of the communion. We have received grants from 2016 onwards for youth and disaster recovery activities. In 2019 we propose to apply for support for the Clifton Boy’s Home in Jamaica.
St. Anselm Community
The monastic roots of the Anglican Communion are well established. There is the St. Anselm Community based at Lambeth Palace in London. It is a monastic community with full time and part time pathways. Young people under 35 are invited to apply. I am pleased that there is a young person from the Bahamas currently enrolled at St. Anselm.
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