Bishop Attends International Anglican Consultation

 Archbishop Welby at the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, site of the Consultation.

 

Bishop Michael Bird attended the 5th Consultation of Anglican Bishops in Dialogue at Coventry Cathedral's Centre for Reconciliation. The gathering has brought together African and North America Bishops along with the Archbishop of Canterbury with the hope of building understanding and respect.  

In Bishop Bird's words: "Once again I feel incredibly privileged to represent the Diocese of Niagara at this important gathering of Bishops from across the Anglican Communion. It is my prayer that what we are learning about living in communion with each other in the face of diversity may be a gift to Anglicans everywhere. I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience God's gift of reconciling love and the transforming power of the risen Christ over the course of these days together."

Since 2010, a rotating group of bishops have met annually at locales around the world. Their gatherings facilitate learning about each other’s contexts and finding pathways for healing and reconciliation. Their time together in Coventry focuses specifically on “Reconciliation in the Anglican Communion.” This intentional dialogue was developed in response to theological controversies that strained relationships across the Anglican Communion in the early 2000s. These included issues relating to human sexuality and the blessing of same-sex marriages. 

Click here to read the Bishops' Joint Statement: A Testimony of Our Journey toward Reconciliation. 

"It was very encouraging to all of us that the Archbishop of Canterbury set aside such a significant period of time to engage with us here in Coventry and I want to thank the Bishop of Coventry and the Dean of the Cathedral for their welcome and for their wonderful hospitality, " said Bishop Bird. "The story of Coventry Cathedral and the ministry of peace and reconciliation that has evolved here has been an inspiration to us all," he added.         

Today the medieval ruins of Coventry Cathedral are a reminder of the human capacity both to destroy and to reach out to our enemies in friendship and reconciliation. In 2011, the ruins were designated as a memorial to all civilians killed, injured or traumatised by war and violent conflict world-wide. In order to commemorate these civilians, the Cathedral chose six themes to guide its focus: aerial bombing, refugees, sexual violence as a result of war, landmines, child soldiers, and the environmental impact of war. Learn more about Coventry Cathedral's Centre for Reconciliation and its ministry.

For more information about the Consultuation of Anglican Bishops in Dialogue, please visit the Anglican Church of Canada website.