Clergy Epistle
Beloved In Christ,
I am honored to be appointed by the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and the President of the House of Deputies to serve on two important bodies of our wider Church: The Task Force on the Anglican Communion and Dismantling the Colonial Mindset and the Standing Commission on World Mission (SCWM.) These appointments reflect the distinctive polity of The Episcopal Church, where governance is shared by bishops, priests, deacons, and laity. Our Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies, as officers of the two houses of General Convention, (https://generalconvention.org/) collaborate in naming persons from across the Church to serve on these task forces and standing commissions, ensuring that the whole Body is represented in our common discernment. The intent of this epistle is to highlight the work being done in the wider church.
Task Force:
The work of the Task Force is both weighty and grace filled. Our mandate is, in part, to truly engage the Nairobi–Cairo Proposals (https://www.anglicancommunion.org/ecumenism/iascufo/the-nairobi-cairo-proposals.aspx) which call for greater mutual accountability and responsiveness among Anglican provinces. To that end, we are charged with developing a mechanism within The Episcopal Church to receive and respond to theological documents from the Anglican Communion—a vital step in ensuring that our life together as Anglicans is marked not by isolation but by faithful exchange. In addition, the Task Force has been asked to find ways to resource the Church for a prayerful examination, repentance, and atonement for the dehumanizing aspects of the colonial project that have shaped both the history of our Communion and our own Episcopal Church. This is not simply a matter of historical critique, but of discipleship—recognizing where the Gospel has been compromised by domination and seeking the Spirit’s leading into the freedom of Christ.
Standing Commission:
The Standing Commission on World Mission shapes the Church’s ongoing policy for global mission. Its charge is to encourage the whole Church in mission by developing resources for formation, teaching, and discernment, so that congregations, dioceses, and individuals may more deeply engage God’s world. At the heart of this labor is a recognition that mission is not about sending aid, funding projects, or extending influence. Mission is, in its truest sense, our participation in God’s mission and vision for the world—a vision of reconciliation, justice, and flourishing revealed in Jesus Christ and carried forward by the Spirit. It was therefore a particular joy that, during our recent meetings, several members of the Standing Commission visited Annapolis and prayed in our beautiful sanctuary here at St. Anne’s. They were honored and delighted to do so, and they carried with them the sense that our parish is both a historic witness and a living presence of God’s mission in this city, our denomination, and the Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop Designate:
In that same spirit of global communion, I invite you to join me in celebrating the recent announcement that the Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dame Sarah Mullaly, Bishop of London, has been named the Archbishop of Canterbury–designate. This is a historic moment, not only for the Anglican Communion’s 85 million members worldwide, but also for us here at St. Anne’s. Our earliest rectors came from the Diocese of London, and our parish holds a unique legacy as a former Chapel Royal—a reminder of our deep historic ties to the Church of England. Today, as members of The Episcopal Church—the only denomination in the United States that is authentically Anglican and in full communion with the See of Canterbury—we are reminded that our faith is both rooted and expansive. While others in our area may use the word “Anglican,” it is only The Episcopal Church within the United States that remains in communion with Canterbury, holding us within the historic and global bonds of our tradition.
I want to emphasize that the ministry I engage in beyond our parish’s geography is not separate from St. Anne’s—it is an extension of the ministry we share together. When I serve in these wider arenas of The Church, I do so as your rector, carrying the prayers, witness, and commitments of all of you with me. It is because of the faith, generosity, and vision of St. Anne’s that I can step into these roles, and I give thanks that we are a parish that not only allows such ministry but celebrates it as part of our vocation to be both local and global in Christ.
I ask your prayers for this ongoing work: that we may have the courage to live into the values of the gospel, the humility to listen and learn, and the joy to proclaim the Good News that alone sets us free. And, I ask your prayers for St. Anne’s, that we may more fully embody this mission here in our city—enlarging the circle, building bridges, and witnessing to the Kingdom of God in all we do.
In Christ’s Peace,
Manoj+
The Rev. Dr. Manoj Mathew Zacharia, Rector