The Instruments of Communion

The Primates’ Meeting:
A Forum for Fellowship and Consultation

As one of the four Instruments of Communion, The Primates’ Meeting plays a unique and pivotal role in the life of the Anglican Communion. It brings together the senior bishops, archbishops, and moderators—known as ‘Primates’—from the autonomous member churches of the Anglican Communion and provides a forum for these senior leaders to consult on shared challenges and opportunities.

Structure and Convening

The Primates’ Meeting operates through a distinct structure:

  • The Archbishop of Canterbury: Convenes the meeting as Primus inter pares (“first among equals”). The Archbishop serves as the focus of unity for the Communion, acting as a convener, chairman, and mediator.
  • The Primates’ Standing Committee: This committee, composed of regional primates, plans the meetings and sets the agenda. This role is critical in fostering dialogue and attempting to forge consensus on behalf of the Communion.
  • The Role of the Secretary General: The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion supports the Primates’ Meetings as part of his responsibilities.
  • Provincial Autonomy: A cornerstone of Anglican polity is that each member church is autonomous. The Primates’ Meeting’s authority is one of moral suasion, not canonical legislation. Its communiqués are not legally binding on any member church.

Walking together

Established in 1978 by the 101st Archbishop of Canterbury, Donald Coggan, the meeting’s original vision was primarily pastoral and relational. It was conceived as an intimate forum for leaders of the rapidly diversifying global family of churches to offer mutual support and discern God’s mission together. The meetings are rooted in “prayer, conversation, Bible study, and fellowship,” providing a space where spiritual leaders can share their vision.

The Meeting’s history reflects the nature of “relational authority” within a decentralized global body. It has been the primary venue where the Communion’s leadership has faithfully addressed different perspectives on significant issues.

The Primates’ Meeting continues to be a vital forum for encounter, with the 2024 Primates’ Meeting in Rome deliberating on the wide ranging changes considered in the IASCUFO paper “The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals” as well as iincluding a shared pilgrimage and a historic meeting with Pope Francis.

The ACO also acknowledges that not all primates have attended recent gatherings, reflecting the different ways provinces are navigating disagreement within the Communion.

Regional Primates

At formal Primates’ Meetings, the Primates of each region elect a Regional Primate to represent them on the Standing Committee of the ACC and to serve as a Standing Committee of the Primates’ Meeting. In recent years, Regional Primates have also helped to provide pastoral support within their regions when such support was requested, in coordination with the Anglican Communion Office and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Americas

The Most Revd Marinez Bassotto (Brazil)

Africa

The Most Revd Jackson Ole Sapit (Kenya)

Middle East & South Asia

The Most Revd Azad Marshall (Pakistan)

Oceania & East Asia

The Most Revd Leonard Dawea (Melanesia)

Europe

The Most Revd John McDowell (Ireland)

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Learn More About the Instruments of Communion:

Learn more about the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC)

The ACC is the Communion’s representative body, gathering laity, clergy, and bishops to guide cooperative work.

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Discover the work and outcomes of The Lambeth Conference

A global gathering of bishops, convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury to shape the Communion’s mission.

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Meet the Archbishop of Canterbury: A Focus for Unity

The Archbishop is the spiritual head and a personal ‘focus of unity’ for the global Anglican Communion.

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