From 10–12 August, Primates and Provincial Secretaries from across the Americas met in the diocese of São Paulo, in the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil (IEAB), for a time of prayer, conversation and shared discernment across the Provinces. Following on from the meeting, several of the Primates and Provincial Secretaries will participate in a broader regional gathering organised by the Anglican Alliance to explore a listening process for reimagining power called A Place At the Table.

The Primates' that took part in the meeting on 10-12 August were the Most Revd Marinez Rosa Dos Santos Bassotto (Primate of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil), the Most Revd Brian Williams (the Anglican Church of South America), the Most Revd Sally Sue Hernández García (Anglican Church of Mexico), the Most Revd Shane Parker (The Anglican Church of Canada), the Most Revd Philip Wright (The Church in the Province of the West Indies), the Most Revd Juan David Alvarado Melgar (The Anglican Church of Central America, IARCA), and the Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe (The Episcopal Church), who joined from 11 August. Also attending was the Most Revd Ramón Ovalle, who will be installed as Primate of IARCA later this year and joined for the Provincial Secretaries meeting.

The Primates’ agenda explored ‘strengthening the region of the Americas’. They discussed diverse issues impacting the region, including how the Church responds to immigration, environmental crisis, youth and pastoral ministry, governance and management responsibilities.

With the meeting being hosted in Brazil, the Most Revd Marinez Bassotto said: 'I hope that everyone travelling to Brazil for these events will experience the warmth of Brazilian hospitality and the richness of our diversity as a sign of God's call to communion and service. I pray that God will grant us wisdom, courage, and compassion to respond faithfully to the challenges of our time, enabling us to be a reconciling and prophetic presence throughout the Americas. May the Holy Spirit gather us together in One Hope and guide all our conversations.’

The Secretary General in São Paulo

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, travelled to the region to be at the meeting, offer encouragement and pray with the Primates. He shared remarks at the joint meeting of the Primates and Provincial Secretaries on 10 August, and has also updated the Primates on the outcomes from ACC-19, the resolutions and IASCUFO’s work on The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals.

The Secretary General said: ‘It was wonderful to be a guest at the meeting of the Primates from the Americas, to pray for their ministries and for the churches and communities they represent. May God continue to build his Church across the Americas.’

Preceding the regional Primates’ meeting, the Secretary General preached at St John’s Parish (Sunday 9 August), in the Anglican Diocese of São Paulo, on the 24th anniversary of the church’s consecration. In his sermon on Matthew 14:22–33 (which is about Jesus walking on the water and meeting his disciples amidst the wind and waves), the Secretary General highlighted three fundamental aspects of Christian life: prayer, trust in God, and courage in the face of fear. 

Primates' issue joint letter

At the conclusion of their meeting, the Primates shared a letter, expressing their commitment to ministry and collaboration. The letter noted the historic nature of the meeting and expressed '...thanks to God for the gift of our communion, which we receive as the Body of Christ'.

The Primates' letter describes the meeting in which they 'spoke honestly and with hope about the realities of ministry in our contexts and sought to enter one another’s realities'. The letter also affirms 'the dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples whose ancestral lands span the Americas'.

The letter acknowledges how their diverse provinces are shaped by 'forces that call us to action, including colonialism, secularism, polarisation, migration concerns, economic and social insecurity, corruption and climate change'. It concludes with a pledge 'to work together with mutual accountability and hope for the people of our provinces. We leave this gathering with the conviction that we have begun a new chapter in our life together in Christ.'

You can read the full letter in English, Spanish and Portuguese. 

A Place at the Table – Anglican Alliance Pilot New Programme

Following their meeting, some of the Primates and Provincial Secretaries will stay in São Paulo and join other senior leaders at a regional gathering facilitated by the Anglican Alliance (13-15 August).

The Alliance are piloting a new programme called A Place at the Table, which is a local and global process of deep listening, reimagining and collective action that centres the voices of those often unheard, releasing communities to act to reshape power and work together for justice, dignity and lasting change.

The programme is based on a conviction that many of the challenges facing the world are shaped not only by a lack of resources, but by distorted relationships of power: who is heard, who makes decisions, who benefits and who is excluded.

Its focus is on listening to people whose voices are often silenced: people living in poverty; women experiencing violence; Indigenous peoples and traditional communities; migrants and refugees; children and older people.

It is designed to help people engage with the realities communities face: poverty and inequality, violence and exclusion, environmental degradation and the structures of power that can prevent people from flourishing.

A key priority of the programme is that community change can’t be imposed from the outside, but must be developed and owned by communities themselves.

A Place at the Table began with a service at the Anglican Cathedral, São Paulo in Brazil on 9 August. Revd Rodrigo Espiuca gave the sermon. 

The following week, from 17–21 August, the first cohort of A Place at the Table 'master facilitators' will undertake a five-day formation programme, equipping them to take the process into their own dioceses and regions.

The São Paulo gathering has been made possible through the relationships and convening role of the Anglican Alliance in the Anglican Communion. 

On the significance of this week's Primates' meeting and wider gatherings, Rob Dawes, Executive Director of the Anglican Alliance, said: 'It is an honour to be able to be part of this really important meeting, and journey together as the Holy Spirit guides these provinces to work more closely together. In a world where we are so often seeing fracturing and polarisation of different groups, it is refreshing to see people actively choosing to come together to support each other in the challenges they face.’

For more information about A Place At The Table visit the Anglican Alliance website.