MANILA, Philippines – Forty Anglican leaders representing 31 countries convened in Manila recently for USPG’s (United Society Partners in the Gospel) fifth International Consultation, culminating in a jointly signed communiqué. Meeting under the theme “Breaking the Chains of Injustice: Reimagining Missional Theologies Today”, the delegates examined global issues surrounding language, land and legacy.
In the communiqué the leaders call on the wider Anglican Communion to “discern how their histories and identities are entangled with questions around language, land and legacy.” They invite the wider Church to express solidarity by “Praying with and forcommunities that struggle for land, language and life, and integrate these concerns into worship and intercession. Visiting and learning fromIndigenous, Afro-descendant, migrant and other marginalised communities where Christ’s voice is heard in struggle.” They also call on the wider church to review investments, landholdings, partnerships and curricula to ensure alignment with the Gospel’s call to break every chain of injustice.
The communiqué draws inspiration from the banig – a Filipino woven mat crafted by the often-unseen labour of women – a metaphor for making visible experiences that are often forgotten. The leaders state: “Bearing the banig in mind, we seek to reweave our missional imagination through believing, belonging and being doers of the word.”
The leaders committed to develop theologies where proclamation and prophetic witness are intertwined; honour land as a gift and partner from God in mission; liberate theological language; own and transform legacy through truth-telling; stand in solidarity with churches who resist current empires; reimagine formation and partnership.
The Consultation was hosted by the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and included a message from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally.
The Revd Canon Dr Duncan Dormor, General Secretary, USPG said:
“This was an historic gathering: At a time of significant change in the global order, it was a huge privilege to be with leaders from across the Communion reflecting theologically on the ways in which identity and culture have been deeply shaped by injustices associated with land, language and legacies. In outlining a critical role for the Church today, it was inspiring to see so many primates and other leaders from such different contexts and cultures express their unity and solidarity throughout the Consultation and in the bold commitments of this communiqué.”
The Revd Canon Dr Peniel Rajkumar, Theologian and Director of Global Mission at USPG said: “This communiqué captures both the spirit as well as the substance of our rich gathering in Manila. It affirms the fact that reimagining our mission theologies is imperative in a global context where the way in which we envision and embody our theologies needs to be rooted in courage, creativity and commitment. Our time together not only fed our minds but also freed them to rethink mission. It is in this spirit that we commend this communique to all the partners that God provides, so that we can walk the talk of justice with renewed solidarity and rejuvenated hope.”
