Dear GSFA Family and Friends,
I am writing this letter on September 3rd which, according to the Anglican Lectionary, we observe as the Festival of Gregory the Great who died in 604. For Anglicans, he has a special significance as the Pope who had the missionary vision to send Augustine, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, to evangelise the Anglo Saxons in 597.
It is good to remember that our Communion originated from bold missionary enterprise, not only in more recent centuries, but also in its deep past. And there are other aspects of Gregory’s life and ministry from which we can learn. The Anglican Communion is going through a time of crisis and change and so was the Church of Rome when Gregory became Pope. The glory of ancient Rome had departed and both secular and church leadership were weak, leading to widespread poverty and insecurity.
Yet despite this weakness, Gregory’s papacy began the transition to a new Rome which rose to become the centre of Western Christendom. As heirs of the Reformation, we are aware of the errors of the late mediaeval Church, but this does not take away from Gregory’s achievements. In addition to the mission to England, he reformed both church and secular government, systematised relief for the poor, renewed the liturgy and established Rome as the leading Church of the West.
We too live in a time of historic transition. Tragically, the See Augustine founded has departed from the faith Augustine taught and I see lessons of hope for us in the life of Gregory as we continue the great task of resetting the Communion.
Firstly, he was a man of deep spirituality who knew his weakness despite his strong natural and spiritual gifts. He suffered poor health and perhaps this reinforced his sense of dependence upon God. The challenges before us cannot overcome in our own strength. Like St Paul, we need to be people of prayer who know that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
Secondly, Gregory knew that practical action and good administration is necessary if the Church is to be effective in its witness and the care of people. This is our understanding too. At the First Assembly in June, the GSFA relaunched its three Tracks and I am delighted to report that action plans to take us up to the next Assembly in 2027 have already been presented to the Primates Steering Committee. Please pray for the newly appointed Track Chairmen as they take this strategic work forward: The Rev Dr Timothy Chong from Singapore (Missions Partnership), the Rt Rev Prof. Alfred Olwa, Bishop of Lango, Uganda (Leadership and Ministerial Formation) and Mr Diogo Henriques of the Anglican Church in Brazil (Economic Empowerment). I am delighted that they will be supported in this work by our Track Facilitator, Mr Daniel Magagnin on a part time secondment from one of our Mission Partner organisations, The Relay Trust.
Thirdly, Gregory saw that without effective leadership, the growth and life of the Church in the West would be compromised. He established Rome as a locus of spiritual leadership in teaching, liturgy and mission, not to emulate the past glories of Empire, but to restore the Church’s effectiveness in a world that had changed profoundly. Likewise, the GSFA, through the Cairo Covenant, has established a new locus of leadership to deal with a new reality, now that the historic centre of the Communion has surrendered to a secular culture which is alien to the vast majority of its members.
Fourthly, Gregory was a missionary leader. At a time when the Church of Rome could have been inward looking because of its many challenges, Gregory took missionary initiatives that would change the course of history. Likewise, mission is the great purpose to which we are committed and I rejoice that the Missions Track is already under way with GSFA Mission Partners joining the Diocese of Singapore’s Mission Roundtable in Bangkok next month. We are already enabling strategic connections and I praise God that arising from a conversation at our First Assembly in June, the Ven Darrell Critch of the Anglican Church in North America has been elected as a missionary bishop for the Diocese of Mahajanga, Madagascar in the Province of the Indian Ocean. Please pray for Bishop-elect Critch and his family as they prepare to leave Canada and begin this new journey of faith.
Let me conclude by urging us to hold in prayer those of our brothers and sisters within the GSFA family who suffer; for an end to war in Sudan, for peace as my own nation of South Sudan decides whether to go for elections in December or not, and for those affected by widespread flooding in both countries. We also continue to pray for the people of Myanmar and Eastern Congo facing growing fragmentation and violence, and of Bangladesh as they adjust to a new government and struggle with floods which have displaced many thousands.
May the all sufficient grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen
The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Archbishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Chair of the GSFA Steering Committee
