Primates Support efforts to improve coordination of Anglican Relief and Development work

Anglican Communion News Service

Posted On : February 5, 2009 9:15 AM
ACNS: ACNS4573


The Primates of the Anglican Communion have supported efforts to improve the coordination and effectiveness of Anglican Relief and Development work.

The Primates, meeting in Alexandria Egypt, were presented with a report on relief and development work. The report was drafted by Helen Stawski, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Secretary for International Development and John Kafwanka, Mission and Development Coordinator at the Anglican Communion Office after a meeting at Lambeth Palace in January.

Archbishop Dr Phillip Aspinall, the media spokesman for the Primates meeting, told the media there had been enthusiasm, energy and momentum at the Lambeth Palace meeting for Communion relief and development efforts and Primates shared that enthusiasm and commitment.

Dr Aspinall said Primates hoped that there could be greater coordination and effectiveness in global Anglican relief and development work and supported a proposal to engage the existing agencies to work more closely together to achieve these outcomes.

The proposal was not to develop a new super Anglican agency but to achieve an efficient global network of local agencies to better deliver relief and development activities across the world. It was also proposed that a comprehensive theological vision be developed to undergird relief and development work. Archbishop Aspinall said Primates were strongly in favour of these efforts.

Editor's Note: Anglican Relief and Development is the name of the fund for relief and development work that is coordinated by the Anglican Communion Network, which is only part of the effort that is being discussed by the Primates.