Four Nations’ Faith and Order Consultation communique

Representatives of the Church of England, the Church of Ireland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church in Wales met in Gladstone’s Library, Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales between 11 and 13 May 2022 for the biennial Four Nations Faith and Order Consultation. It was hosted by the Bishop of Asaph, the Rt. Rev’d. Gregory Cameron, on behalf of the Church in Wales, and benefited from the expertise of the delegates from the four nations as well as the contribution of the keynote speaker, the Rev’d. Dr Susan Durber, Moderator of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

With several major gatherings due to take place during 2022-3, this year’s Consultation had a distinctly international focus. Delegates were enriched by Dr Durber’s presentation of the WCC’s major paper on ecclesiology, The Church: Towards a Common Vision and her introduction to the theme of the 11th WCC General Assembly (to be held in Karlsruhe, Germany, in September this year), Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity. There was also a focus on the theme and shape of the Lambeth Conference which will bring together bishops from each part of the global Anglican Communion in Canterbury between 27 July and 8 August. Delegates also discussed the plans for the General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches which is to be held in Tallinn, Estonia, between 15 and 22 June 2023, as well as other ecumenical agreements in Europe to which Anglicans are committed such as those of Bonn, Porvoo, Meissen and Reuilly.

Discussions on the forthcoming Lambeth Conference also included reflections on the nature and authority of the Conferences, and the way in which ecumenical texts are received in the Anglican Communion.

The Consultation received national reports from each of the four churches, highlighting Faith, Order and Ecumenical matters of particular interest. Among the common themes was an understanding of how the individual churches are rebuilding following the challenges of the pandemic and the benefits received through a more prominent and intentional digital presence.

The Faith and Order Consultation will next meet in May 2024 when the Church of England will be hosting.

The full list of delegates follows.

List of Delegates

The Church of England

The Revd Canon Dr Malcolm Brown

Director of Faith and Public Life, Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England

The Church of Ireland

The Most Rev’d. Dr Michael Jackson

Archbishop of Dublin and Anglican Co-chair of the Porvoo Communion

The Rt. Rev’d. Michael Burrows

Bishop of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe

The Rev’d. Canon Katharine Poulton

Rector of Julianstown (Meath) and member of the Anglican Consultative Council

The Very Rev’d. Niall Sloane

Dean of Limerick

The Scottish Episcopal Church

The Most Rev’d. Mark Strange

Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church

The Rev’d. Carol Latimer

Assistant Priest at St Serf’s, Burntisland, and member of the Inter-Church Relations Committee

The Rev’d. Canon Prof Charlotte Methuen

Professor of Church History, University of Glasgow, and Convener of the Inter-Church Relations Committee

Miriam Weibye

Church Relations Officer and member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches

The Church in Wales

The Rt. Rev’d. Gregory Cameron

Bishop of St. Asaph

The Rev’d. Canon Dr Ainsley Griffiths

Director of Faith, Order and Unity and Anglican Co-secretary of the Porvoo Communion

Dr Heather Payne

Consultant Paediatrician and Child Health Senior Medical Officer, Welsh Government; member of the Anglican Consultative Council and of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales