The first morning of the 17th Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-17), on 28 April, provided the forum for the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to deliver his presidential address. ACC-17 met for a week-long session from 28 April to 5 May. More than 100 members from the 40 provinces of the Anglican Communion took part.

After a word of welcome Archbishop Justin began by telling the Council that the Communion does not exist for itself and that while every province is autonomous, “being interdependent means we should limit that right out of love for one another”.

The address also reminded the members of the theme of ACC-17: “It is my profound hope and prayer that this year, meeting under the theme ‘Equipping God’s People: Going Deeper in Intentional Discipleship’, the second time we have focused on intentional discipleship, we will have the opportunity to reflect on walking together in our life as the Body of Christ and living as witnesses to the glory of God.”

Through stories, he spoke of how the four instruments of Communion – the Anglican Consultative Council, the Primates Meeting, the Lambeth Conference and the Archbishop of Canterbury – facilitate and collaborate in providing the support and structure of the Communion.

He concluded by saying that “the Anglican Communion is everywhere. We are diverse, we disagree, but although we are many, we are one body in Jesus Christ – none better, none worse, all of us sinners and disciples known and loved by God. . .

“As part of God's church, as disciples of Christ, as those who strive to be intentional in our following, we can and should rejoice day by day at being part of the wonder that is God’s church, messy, contrary, argumentative, but ultimately God’s, to do God’s work in God’s world.”

• Click here to read the full text of Archbishop Justin’s Presidential Address.