A team of pastoral visitors appointed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams held its first meeting last week at Virginia Theological Seminary.
 
Created in response to the recommendations of the Windsor Continuation Group’s report to the primates’ meeting in Egypt last month, Archbishop Williams said the pastoral visitors will “act as consultants in situations of stress and conflict” across the Anglican Communion.
 
The pastoral visitors met at Virginia Theological Seminary Feb. 25-28 for an initial briefing facilitated by the Rt. Rev. Peter Price, Bishop of Bath and Wells in the Church of England.
 
Participants received reports on the Anglican Covenant design process from the Very Rev. Ephraim Radner, dean of Wycliffe Theological Seminary in Toronto, and from the Rt. Rev Gary Lillibridge, Bishop of West Texas, on the work of the Windsor Continuation Group.
 
The Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, canon to the Presiding Bishop, and the Rt. Rev. Herbert Donovan, deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Anglican Communion relations, gave the pastoral visitors an overview of the situation in The Episcopal Church, while the Ven. Paul Fehely, principal secretary to the primate, summed up the situation in the Anglican Church of Canada.
 
Appointed by Archbishop Williams to the pastoral visitor team were:
 
  • The Rt. Rev. Santosh Marray, who retired in 2008 as Bishop of the Seychelles in the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. Bishop Marray served in the Diocese of Florida at the time of his election in 2005, and is presently a member of the Anglican Covenant Design Group.
 
  • The Rt. Rev. Colin Bennetts, retired Bishop of Coventry in the Church of England. He also serves as chairman of the International Centre for Reconciliation (ICR) based at Coventry Cathedral.
 
  • The Very Rev. Justin Welby, dean of Liverpool Cathedral (England). Dean Welby was formerly sub dean and canon for reconciliation ministry at Coventry Cathedral.
 
  • The Rt. Rev. Simon Chiwanga, retired Bishop of Mwapwa in the Anglican Church of Tanzania. For 18 years he served on the Anglican Consultative Council.
 
  • The Rev. Canon Chad Gandiya, former dean of Bishop Gaul Theological College in Harare, Zimbabwe, and now serves as the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel’s regional desk officer for Africa.
 
  • Maj. General Tim Cross, former chief logistics officer in the British Army. Gen. Cross was deputy head of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq. He is also a visiting professor at Nottingham and Cranfield universities.
 
(The Rev.) George Conger
 
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