A celebration was held in North Carolina on the evening of Saturday, 7 March 2026, to honour the living legacy, work and ministry of former Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Revd Canon John L Peterson, who has dedicated 50 years to serving The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, visited the Kanuga conference, retreat and camp centre in Hendersonville — a site of several previous Anglican Communion meetings — to join others for a special dinner and presentation honouring the long and fruitful service of Canon John across his many roles and responsibilities.

About the Revd Canon John Peterson

Canon John is a former Dean of St George's College Jerusalem, where he served from 1983 to 1994. He was Secretary General of the Anglican Communion from 1994 to 2004, after which he served as President of the Compass Rose Society until 2014 — an organisation that works to support the ministry of the Anglican Communion Office as the official secretariat to the Anglican Communion. More recently, he has been working with the National Cathedral in Washington DC on a reconciliation and justice-centred programme.

Since his ordination into The Episcopal Church as a Deacon in 1976 and a Priest in 1977 in the Diocese of Western Michigan, Canon John has been known throughout his career for his humility, devotion to justice and servant leadership.

Speaking about the evening of reflection on his continuing legacy, Canon John shared, 'It was very nice to be remembered in this way, although I don't see myself as someone who does more than anyone else. I've been blessed with wonderful jobs — starting with working with Bishop Bennison for five years in the Diocese of Western Michigan, being called to St George's College for close to 12 years, then to the Anglican Communion Office for 10 years, and working at the National Cathedral in Washington on the Global Justice and Reconciliation programme for the last five.'

Reflecting on his former role as Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Canon John told Anglican News, 'The Anglican Communion is a unique gift that God has given to us. The enormous diversity in the Communion is to be celebrated, and exploring how we can best work together is so worthwhile. In terms of holding things together as Secretary General, I have nothing but the greatest respect for Bishop Anthony. He is outstanding — the Communion could not have a better Secretary General for this moment.'

Honouring his legacy

The celebration evening, titled An Evening of Gratitude, Friendship and Global Vision, saw Bishop Anthony speak warmly about Canon John's many years of service to the Communion. He expressed thanks for Canon John's ministry, describing it as 'a blessing to the Anglican Communion' and calling it a 'privilege and honour' to have known and worked alongside him.

Among other honours received during his life, in 2001, Canon John was awarded an honorary canonry at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Speaking of the wide reach of Canon John's ministry, Bishop Anthony noted that his 'legacy is not only limited to Jerusalem, where you are still a Canon, but spans the whole Anglican Communion — evidenced by the fact that you are an Honorary Canon in so many other cathedrals, including in Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana and others.'

Others who spoke at the celebration included the Revd Michael Sullivan, President and CEO of the Kanuga Centre, and the Revd David Henson, Rector of St James Episcopal Church — Canon John's home church, where a service was held the following morning, Sunday 8 March, at which Bishop Anthony was invited to preach.

During the evening, Revd Michael Sullivan reflected on how Canon John 'wore titles lightly', saying, ' Many will rightly remember him as Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, guiding a worldwide family of churches through seasons of both deep promise and real strain. Others will remember him as Dean of St George's College, Jerusalem, where pilgrims encountered not only the holy stones of that ancient city but the living stones of God's enduring faithfulness.'

Revd Michael continued: 'He moved with grace in rooms of archbishops and primates. He helped hold together a Communion stretched across continents, cultures and convictions. He believed — stubbornly and prayerfully — that unity in Christ was stronger than our divisions. And he lived that belief not as strategy, but as vocation.'

The Revd David Henson, Rector at the church, Canon John currently attends and informally serves, remarked, 'John is a special kind of person and priest. His ministry has been marked by profound humility, genuine encouragement and a passion for lifting up the broader Anglican Communion. More than any other priest I've known, he seeks to lift others up rather than himself — because I think he knows our Communion thrives when we all thrive, when we recognise each other's gifts, and when we build deep relationships based on mutual respect and the joyful celebration of one another.

'When we were recently in Jerusalem together, where he was recognised for his contributions to that diocese, I was inspired by how many priests spoke of John's influence and encouragement in their own ministries — and by how John, time and again, turned the spotlight back on them rather than accepting it for himself, though he would have been entirely within his rights to do so. It is the same commitment to the Church I have seen here at St James, where each Sunday he assists with the distribution of Communion and is always ready to share his wisdom when called upon. In the same way he shaped the entire Communion, he has shaped St James — teaching and introducing people to an embodied Jesus who remains profoundly relevant in our world today.'

Find out more about Bishop Anthony Poggo, the current Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.

Find out more about the Compass Rose Society.

Find out more about the Kanuga conference, retreat and camp centre.

Find out more about St James Episcopal Church.