The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, visited clergy and church leaders in The Episcopal Church. Between 25 February and 6 March, Bishop Anthony’s trip included time in the dioceses of Washington, Albany and New York, as well as attending the Episcopal Parish Network conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Part of the role of the Secretary General is to visit member churches around the world, to learn more about the ministry of local churches, share encouragement and pray for church communities. He also represents the work of the Anglican Communion Office and its work in serving the life of the Anglican Communion.

Visiting the Diocese of Washington – February 25

First on the Washington itinerary were visits to the diocese offices and Washington National Cathedral. The Secretary General learned more about the ministry and history of the Cathedral, which streams services that are picked up by national and international congregations. The Cathedral’s YouTube channel, which streams regular weekly services, has 21.5 million accumulated views and averages 15,000 views per weekly Sunday Eucharist.

The National Cathedral is the fifth-largest church in the world, which took 83 years to complete from US presidents Roosevelt to Bush, both of whom were involved in laying stones on the foundation and roof, respectively. It was also the last place that the Revd Dr Martin Luther King Jr, a prominent advocate for American civil rights and ending racial segregation, preached before he was assassinated 5 days later. The Cathedral also celebrates the national heritage of space exploration with a dedicated stained glass window, said to contain a piece of lunar rock presented by the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission.

Bishop Anthony was hosted by the Rt Revd Mariann Edgar Budde (Bishop of Washington), the Rt Revd Eugene Taylor Sutton (Assistant Bishop of Washington), the Very Revd Randy Marshall Hollerith (Dean of Washington National Cathedral) and the Revd Canon Jan Naylor Cope (Provost of Washington National Cathedral).

Speaking about the visit, Bishop Anthony said, ‘It was wonderful to visit the Washington National Cathedral… Listening to how the cathedral was ministering to the community and also across the country and the world through their virtual services was inspiring. It was also moving to learn that the pulpit was created in Canterbury, and was where Martin Luther King Jr preached his last sermon.'

Bishop Anthony Poggo recently met with the Rt Revd Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington and the Rt Revd Eugene Taylor Sutton, Assistant Bishop of Washington

‘It was good to see how the Cathedral fulfils an important role in the national life and heritage of the United States, through the services and prayers offered after every presidential inauguration, for a peaceful transition of power. This spirit of serving without personal or political agenda is something to be cherished and learned from.’

Visiting the Diocese of Albany - 28 February

Bishop Anthony went on to visit the diocese of Albany, which spans the considerable distance from New York to the Canadian border. He met with the Rt Revd Jeremiah Williamson (Bishop of Albany), who took up his position in February 2024, as well as his wife and two sons. They discussed the challenges and opportunities in the diocese and shared stories from the wider Anglican Communion. 

Bishop Anthony met with the Rt Revd Jeremiah Williamson, Bishop of Albany

Bishop Jeremiah shared on social media that meeting Bishop Anthony was ‘a great pleasure’ and wrote that ‘He is a good and kind man with a powerful global ministry of reconciliation and encouragement… Such relationships are a blessing of membership in the Anglican Communion and the Body of Christ’.

Visiting the Diocese of New York – 29 February to 3 March

Continuing his tour of the East Coast, on Sunday, 1 March, Bishop Anthony visited Trinity Church, a vibrant and community-focused church in the financial district of New York. Trinity church has an impressive ministry of hardship relief for the vulnerable in its community and is also rich with American history, as the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton (a founding father of the United States) and his wife, Eliza Hamilton, as well as Angelica Schuyler Church, all of whom are now household names due to the Broadway hit musical, Hamilton. After a fire destroyed much of the original church, the large, neo-Gothic church, as it now stands, was consecrated in 1790, the consecration of which was attended by the President at the time, George Washington. 

Bishop Anthony met with clergy, including the Rector, the Revd Phillip Jackson (Fr Phil) and preached on Nicodemus in John 3:1-17, urging those in leadership not to seek praise but to always be open to learning from Christ and practice humility. During the Eucharist, Fr Phil thanked Bishop Anthony for his presence and wider work on behalf of the Anglican Communion, saying that he was both a ‘remarkable’ person and a ‘dear friend’.

Bishop Anthony spent time with Fr Phil, Rector of Trinity Church in central Manhattan.

During his visit to New York, Bishop Anthony was also pleased to visit the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York, the largest cathedral in the United States and a centre of both faith and the arts in the city. In addition to the services, which are delivered in up to 12 languages to cater for the multicultural congregations, the cathedral also hosts frequent concerts and exhibitions in addition to housing an extensive collection of art. It was famously the venue where Aretha Franklin gave her final public performance in 2017 as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

During his visit to the Cathedral and its offices, Bishop Anthony spoke with the Rt Revd Matthew Heyd (Bishop of New York), about the cathedral’s ministry in such a diverse and international community containing around 100 languages. They discussed the diocese’s response to the migration crisis as well as the church’s work with diaspora communities.

Speaking about the visit with Bishop Matthew, Bishop Anthony remarked, ‘It was great to meet with Bishop Matthew to learn about the vibrant and diverse communities they serve and to speak about the upcoming meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-19) in June and the upcoming installation of the new Archbishop of Canterbury.’

Bishop Anthony Poggo met with the Rt Revd Matthew Heyd, Bishop of New York, at the Cathedral of St John the Divine

The Diocese of New York enjoys a companion link with the Diocese of London and Bishop Matthew was at the Confirmation of Election for the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Sarah Mullally, DBE, the former Bishop of London. Bishop Matthew said the installation of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury is ‘a big moment’ and that he is both ‘supportive’ and ‘excited’ for the Installation of Archbishop Sarah on March 25 2026, which he plans to attend.  

The Episcopal Parish Network conference 2026

Bishop Anthony then attended the Episcopal Parish Network conference from March 3 to 6 in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he met with several leaders in The Episcopal Church, including the Most Revd Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Parish Network conference is an opportunity for The Episcopal Church to gather for learning, networking and connection.

Bishop Anthony Poggo met with the Most Revd Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, at the Episcopal Parish Network conference in Charlotte, North Carolina

Bishop Anthony spoke in a session on March 5, titled ‘A Communion in Transition: Hope, Leadership and Global Witness’, which offered a wide-angle view of the Anglican Communion, exploring key forces shaping its future and reflecting on the upcoming installation of Sarah Mullally as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. He was joined virtually by the Most Revd Hosam Naoum, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem and Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. Archbishop Hosam spoke about the recent escalations of conflict in the Middle East, involving the US and Israel and invited the Anglican Communion to pray for the region. 

Find out about the Dioceses of Washington, Albany and New York.

Watch the recording of the eucharist service at Trinity Church in New York.

Find out more about the Episcopal Parish Network conference (EPN26).