The Communion of Anglican Churches

 A cord of many strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  

In an effort to promote Anglican unity, yet still provide a means for each jurisdiction to maintain their identity and independence, in their May 31, 2025 meeting, the House of Bishops approved the formation of a Communion.  It is hoped that this can be a forum in which various Anglican Churches can join together in genuine unity, cooperate on matters of importance, and speak with one voice on issues of concern while independently managing their jurisdictions and identity.  A cord of many strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). 

Some key points of the proposal are:

The Primate would be elected from among the Presiding Bishops/Archbishops of member jurisdictions and would have a limited term.

All Bishops of the Communion would meet at least every 10 years.  The business of the communion in the interim would be managed by a Council with input from local Bishops Conferences.

Membership is open to any Anglican body who adheres to traditional Anglican beliefs and that possesses valid orders.

There is a provision for individual parishes to join when circumstances necessitate that.

For more information, contact bishop.anglicanconvocation@gmail.com

On June 9, 2025, the Feast of St. Columba, the The Convocation of Anglican Churches and the Missionary Diocese of the Sacred Heart became the founding jurisdictions of the Communion of Anglican Churches.

This action carries with it a deep and profound prayer that both jurisdictions will remain faithful to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and to the Communion of Anglican Churches, and that the Communion will remain a fervent witness to the Words, Deeds, and Life of the Son of God

Canon 1.

The Communion of Anglican Churches is a worldwide fellowship of Christians consisting of Churches that are faithful to the fundamental principles and tenets of Orthodox Anglicanism, as defined in Canon 2, and recognized as such by the Primate and council.

Canon 2.

The fundamental principles and tenets of Orthodox Anglicanism are promulgated in the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal of the Church of England, AD 1662, and the Articles of Religion set forth in AD 1562 by the same Church.

The Presiding Bishop 

Canon 3.

Initially the Presiding Bishop of the Convocation of Anglican Churches will serve as Presiding Bishop of the Communion for a 6-year term. At the completion of the term, a primate will be elected from among the Presiding Bishops/Archbishops of the member jurisdictions for a 6-year term by majority vote of all bishops within the communion with elections following every 6 years. No person may serve more than two terms as Presiding Bishop.

(a.) The role of the Presiding Bishop is “primus inter pares”. He functions as the spiritual and administrative head of the Communion and as a focus of unity.

Purpose

Canon 4.

The purpose of The Communion of Anglican Churches is to promote the unity of Christendom by providing a canonical means to unite Anglican Christians throughout the world who are orthodox in Faith and Order.

(b.) The Communion of Anglican Churches recognizes that within Anglicanism there is a broad spectrum of Churchmanship; that each of these strands brings gifts to the entire Church; that as individual members and constituent Churches, we are interdependent and benefit from the gifts of others; and that as member Churches we are committed to respect and value the differing gifts of each other.

Definitions

Canon 5.

For purposes of these Canons, the following definitions apply:

Bishop: A Minister of the Gospel consecrated in the historic episcopate of the Church, in the succession of the Holy Apostles, who oversees the Cure of Souls in a nation or

territory.

Church: Christian believers under the Cure of Souls of a Bishop in a nation or territory. A Church may be divided into Provinces and/or Dioceses, as is customary and according

to provisions established by the Primate of said Church.

Continent: One of the main inhabited landmasses of the globe: Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America.

Cure of Souls: Preaching the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments, and providing pastoral care to lay members of the Church, either directly by a Bishop, or by his designate priests,

deacons, clerks and lay readers.

Episcopal Conference: An assembly of Bishops organized for the purpose of exercising together certain pastoral offices for the Anglican faithful of a nation, territory, or continent.

Missionary Bishop: A Minister of the Gospel consecrated in the historic episcopate of the Church, in the succession of the Holy Apostles, who actively works to establish a new Anglican Church in a nation or territory.

Nation: The political jurisdiction of a single nation-state.

Territory: Two or more contiguous nation-states.

Vicar-General: A Priest, duly ordained by a Bishop consecrated in the historic episcopate of the Church, in the succession of the Holy Apostles, who provides the Cure of Souls in a nation or territory without the benefit of an Anglican Bishop or Missionary Bishop.

Primate: The Presiding Bishop of the Communion of Anglican Churches.

Eligibility for Membership

Canon 6.

To be eligible to become a member of The Communion of Anglican Churches, the leader of such Church or Diocese (and on behalf of those under his cure of souls) making application to the Presiding Bishop of the Communion, shall testify to the following: 

1) That he is a Bishop consecrated in the historic episcopate of the Church, in the succession of the Holy Apostles, or is willing to be so consecrated; 

2) That he believes Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God and Savior of the world; 

3) That Holy Scripture is the inspired Word of God containing all things necessary to salvation; 

4) That marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman; 

5) That the Holy Orders of the Church are reserved to godly men only; 

6) That he believes in, and ascribes to, the ancient Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds; 

7) That he engages, or vows to engage, only in the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the historic Anglican Book of Common Prayer, and specifically the 1662 edition of the Church of England and such other derivatives thereof;

8) That he pledges to uphold these Canons; and 

9) That he recognizes the Presiding Bishop as Primate and Temporal head of the Communion of Anglican Churches

Canon 7.

(a) A duly ordained priest (and on behalf of those parishioners under his cure of souls) may also become a member of the Communion of Anglican Churches so long as said priest was ordained by a Bishop consecrated in the historic episcopate of the Church, in the succession of the Holy Apostles, or is willing to be so ordained, and the priest himself (and on behalf of those under his cure) makes application testifying his assent to items 2-9 of Canon 6, above.

(b) A duly ordained priest making application under Canon 7 paragraph (a), ministering in a nation, territory, or continent that does not have a recognized Anglican Bishop or Missionary Bishop, may be appointed a Vicar-General by the Presiding Bishop on the advice of the Council. In such cases the priest, and those under the priest's cure of souls, shall be deemed part of The Convocation of Anglican Churches in the United States of America or the jurisdiction of subsequent primates, and subject to its Constitution and Canons, until such time the Council determines it is appropriate for a Bishop to be elected, consecrated, and installed by the Primate or the Primate's designee for said nation, territory, or continent.

Recognition

Canon 8.

Recognition of membership of any Church, Province, Diocese, Bishop, Missionary Bishop, or Priest shall be determined by the Presiding Bishop on the advice of the Presiding Bishop’s Council. If an application for membership in the Communion is received where an Episcopal Conference of Anglican Bishops in a nation, territory, or continent is established, the Primate will also seek the advice of the relevant Episcopal Conference as to the merits of the applicant. The Primate shall execute and send each member Church a Certificate of Membership, and a Certificate of Recognition for each Bishop, Missionary Bishop, or Vicar-General.

Canon 9.

To promote the unity of Anglican Christians, the Primate may, with advice from the Bishops and Churches affected, recognize more than one particular Church in a nation, seating all Bishops in the relevant Episcopal Conference, to participate in joint pastoral ministry in the nation.

Jurisdiction

Canon. 10.

Each and every member Church of the Communion shall be autonomous in matters of government, finances, and ownership of property. 

(b.) Should it be deemed by the Council that any member Church and/or Bishop has departed from the purpose for which this Communion was formed, recognition of membership shall be withheld and membership in the Communion shall cease. 

(c.) The Primate holds direct, ordinary jurisdiction over all Missionary Bishops and Vicars-General not under the jurisdiction of a National Church.

Member Jurisdiction Relations

Canon 11. 

(a.) Clergy and/or congregations of member Jurisdictions shall not transfer their connection to the other without the mutual assent of the appropriate authority of said Jurisdictions.

Episcopal Conferences

Canon 12.

(a) The work of the Communion of Anglican Churches is organized by Episcopal Conferences, as established and authorized by the Primate, in a nation, territory, or continent. The Primate may, after consultation with the Bishops affected, add or delete certain nations or territories to or from an existing Conference if the circumstances suggest such adjustments, in order to create new Episcopal Conferences as the Communion increases in size. 

(b) The following persons in a nation, territory, or continent shall belong to the Episcopal Conference and shall be entitled to one vote as members: all Archbishops or Presiding Bishops, all diocesan Bishops and those equivalent to them in law; all coadjutor Bishops, auxiliary Bishops, and suffragan Bishops, and any other persons whom the Conference may so designate.

(c) Episcopal Conferences shall be called and held at a minimum of once per calendar year as determined by the President of the Conference. 

(d) Each Episcopal Conference is to draft its own statutes. Among other things, the statutes shall determine when, where, and how many plenary meetings of the Conference shall be held each year, establishment of the permanent committees, election procedures and election of officers such as the President, Vice President, Secretary General, and other officers, and the drafting and finalization of its mission statement and goals.

(e) Each Episcopal Conference shall elect a President and determine who, in the lawful absence of the President, will exercise the function of Vice President. It is also to designate a Secretary General.

(f) It shall be the role of the President of the Conference to preside over the general meetings of the Conference and also over the permanent committees.

(g) It shall be the role of the Secretary General of the Conference to prepare an account of the acts and decrees of the plenary meetings of the Conference, as well as the acts of the permanent committees of the bishops and to communicate these to all members of the Conference and to the Primate for information and review.

(h) It shall be the role of the Secretary General of the Conference to communicate with neighboring Episcopal Conferences such acts and documents as the Conference or the permanent committees shall have decreed.

(i) When a meeting of the Episcopal Conference has been concluded, its minutes are to be sent by the President to Primate for information and its decrees for review. 

Canon. 13. 

In order to promote the greater good of the faithful and to promote relations between Episcopal Conferences, invitations to attend one another’s plenary meetings as observers is encouraged and the sharing of information is also encouraged.

Canon. 14. 

The Primate should be consulted whenever actions or affairs undertaken by Episcopal Conferences have an international character. The agenda of an upcoming plenary meeting of an Episcopal Conference should be forwarded to the Primate prior to the meeting in order to provide the Primate an opportunity to comment on its contents.

Canon 15.

Episcopal Conferences shall be self-funded.

Canon 16.

The Presiding Bishop's Council

The Primate's Council shall consist of the Presidents and Secretaries-General of the several Episcopal Conferences, the Primate, the Secretary-General of the Communion, the coadjutor to the Presiding Bishop of the Convocation of Anglican Churches, primates of constituent jurisdictions, and the Dean of the House of Bishops of the Convocation of Anglican Churches. Past primates will also serve as members of the council. Meetings of the Primate's Council shall be called and held at a time and place as determined by the Primate. The Council must meet at least annually.

(a.) The House of Bishops of the Convocation of Anglican Churches will function as the Presiding Bishop’s council until a council is formed with members of constituent jurisdictions. The formation of a council as outlined above must be accomplished within one year of the establishment of the Communion.

Plenary Synods

Canon. 17. 

Synods of all Bishops in The Communion of Anglican Churches shall be called and held at a time and place as determined by the Primate, but shall occur no less than once every 10 years.

The Presiding Bishop's Office

Canon 18.

The Presiding Bishop shall appoint a Secretary-General of the Communion to assist him in the administration of the Communion. Among other duties, the Secretary-General shall act to promote new memberships in the Communion, investigate new applications for membership, provide procedures and regulations for the development of new Churches and Missionary Dioceses, provide regulations as to the division of Churches into Provinces and/or Dioceses, provide advice and assistance for the formation of new Episcopal Conferences, and act as liaison between the Primate and member Bishops as well as the Episcopal Conferences. The Secretary General may appoint assistants to him to accomplish these and any other duties assigned to him by the Primate.

Canon 19.

The Presiding Bishop’s Council may alter or amend these Canons, for the Communion, with the advice and majority assent of the Episcopal Conferences.

Revision date: 5-15-2025