The Governance of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion

Like all complex organisations the Church of England and the Anglican Communion can appear bemusing to those unfamiliar with the governance of the Church. If this is true for many members of the Church of England it can be compounded in the Diocese in Europe for we gladly welcome as worshippers and members of our chaplaincies and congregations men and women from many different Christian traditions. It is not surprising that from time to time I and Bishop David are asked for helpful resources to enable better understanding of Anglican order and ways of working.

It is a great good fortune, then, that Dr Colin Podmore has provided a clear and informative paper, The Governance of the Church of
England and the Anglican Communion. This was the result of a request by the Guildford Diocesan Synod, and it was warmly welcomed by the General Synod at its meeting in February 2009. I believe this will be a useful resource to clergy and congregations throughout the Diocese, and I commend it to you. It can be accessed as a PDF file here.

+GEOFFREY GIBRALTAR, May 2009