New members elected at ACC-19 attend their first Standing Committee meeting for the Anglican Consultative Council

Posted on: September 28, 2026 11:41 AM

The five newly elected members of the Anglican Consultative Council’s Standing Committee pictured at ACC-19 in Belfast on 4 July 2026, alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Chair and Vice Chair of the ACC, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion and other Standing Committee members who were present.

Photo Credit: Neil Turner / ACC-19

Related Categories: ACC-19, Anglican Consultative Council, Anita Gittens, Archbishop Hosam Naoum, Archbishop Mark Strange, Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Sarah Mullally, Bishop Anthony Poggo, Canon Maggie Swinson, Joaquin Philpotts, Saba Kerry, The Revd Canon Ranjit Mathews

The Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council met online on Monday 21 September, and welcomed new members who were elected to the Standing Committee during ACC-19 in Belfast on July 3 this year.

The five newly elected members of the Committee are: Anita Gittens (The Anglican Church of Canada), Saba Kerry (The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East), Hannah Kim (The Anglican Church of Korea), The Revd Canon Ranjit Mathews (The Episcopal Church) and Joaquin Philpotts (The Anglican Church of South America).

The meeting was chaired by Canon Maggie Swinson. The Archbishop of Canterbury (as President of ACC), the Most Revd Hosam Naoum (Vice Chair) and the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo (the Secretary General) also attended.

During the meeting, members thanked the Most Revd John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, who concluded his service on the Standing Committee this week.

The Most Revd Mark Strange, Primus of The Scottish Episcopal Church will take up service as the regional Primate for Europe, attending his first Standing Committee meeting in February 2027. Commenting on the appointment, the Primus said: ‘I am pleased to find myself in this place…The Anglican Communion is important to us and being asked to serve in this way is a special moment for me after nine years of rebuilding trust and friendships across the Communion’.

Standing Committee meetings happen three times a year (twice online and once in person). They are important opportunities to address matters in Anglican Communion affairs. In addition to orienting new members in their responsibilities, the Standing Committee discussed how to take forward resolutions and outcomes from ACC-19, including a church planting initiative called Vision36 and continuing work on Anglican identity and governance. The Committee also discussed ways to ensure voices from across the five regions of the Anglican Communion are heard.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has recently announced that the 2027 Primates Meeting will be held in Johannesburg, hosted by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. In the months ahead, the regional primates represented on the Standing Committee will play a key role in working with the Archbishop to shape the agenda.

Reflecting on the September Standing Committee meeting Canon Maggie Swinson said:

‘I am delighted that we have had the first full meeting of our newly elected Standing Committee. We share a heart for God’s church and the ministry of Anglican churches around the world. I look forward to the vital contribution each one will make to the Anglican Consultative Council in their terms of service. We invite Member churches of the Anglican Communion to pray for the work of the Anglican Consultative Council, as we continue to serve and support one another in our global ministry together.’