London, ACNS Special Report

From the Editor

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon, has appointed the Revd Canon Philip Groves as the facilitator of the "Listening Process" for the Communion.

The task as defined by the 1998 Lambeth Conference, is setting up "a means of monitoring the work done on the subject of human sexuality in the Communion".

Canon Groves is currently Team Vicar in Melton Mowbray. After studies at the University of Manchester, St John's College, Nottingham and Crowther Hall, he served a curacy in Ripon Diocese before going to St Philip's College, Kongwa, Tanzania as Tutor from 1993 - 1998. He is a Trustee of the Church Mission Society, a Council Member at St John's College, Nottingham and a Canon of All Saints Cathedral, Mpwapwa, Tanzania. He is married and has 3 children.

The Primates Meeting at Dromantine (Ireland) last February requested "the Anglican Consultative Council in June 2005 to take positive steps to initiate the listening and study process which has been the subject of resolutions not only at the Lambeth Conference in 1998, but in earlier Conferences as well" (paragraph 17).

In a letter to the Primates of the Anglican Communion Canon Kearon said, "I am pleased that this Listening Process, which has been requested on many occasions, can now begin in earnest. Canon Groves has wide experience and excellent gifts to take this process forward. I am sure he will wish to contact each of you shortly."

Canon Groves will begin work shortly and will take up the post full-time from 1 January next as part of the Anglican Communion Office in Westbourne Park, London.

Notes for editors:

ACC-13 in June passed this Resolution:

In response to the request of the bishops attending the Lambeth Conference in 1998 in Resolution 1.10 to establish "a means of monitoring the work done on the subject of human sexuality in the Communion" and to honour the process of mutual listening, including "listening to the experience of homosexual persons" and the experience of local churches around the world in reflecting on these matters in the light of Scripture, Tradition and Reason, the Anglican Consultative Council encourages such listening in each Province and requests the Secretary General:

to collate relevant research studies, statements, resolutions and other material on these matters from the various Provinces and other interested bodies within those Provinces
to make such material available for study, discussion and reflection within each member Church of the Communion
to identify and allocate adequate resources for this work, and to report progress on it to the Archbishop of Canterbury, to the next Lambeth Conference and the next meeting of this Council, and to copy such reports to the Provinces. (Resolution 12)