Other provinces of the Anglican Communion in North, Central and South America are undergoing restructuring similar to that of the Anglican Church of Canada’s to better meet the ministry, social and governance needs of the 21st century, says Archbishop Shane Parker, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Parker and General Secretary Andrea Mann travelled to São Paolo, Brazil Aug. 9-14 to meet with other primates, presiding bishops and provincial secretaries from the Americas.
They discussed the realities of their home churches as well as issues of mutual concern across the continents, including migration, environmental and Indigenous issues, and ways of ministering to the world in a time of rapid change.
Some churches, like The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, are adapting their structures to a time of increased secularism along with reduced attendance and resources, Parker says. Others, like the Anglican Church of Mexico, are seeking new ways to respond in ministry to the needs of their home countries, including issues of political and economic instability, he adds.
While these changes are not all going in the same direction, each of the primates Parker heard from described a time of significant change in one way or another, he says.
“We are talking about very different cultures between Argentina and the Arctic,” the primate says. “But the commonality would be we share a colonial heritage in one form or another, and many of the structures that were built up at our inception are no longer serving us well. There’s a real need and desire to focus on where we are called to serve at this time, each in our own context.”
Attendees also discussed areas of ministry with implications for all involved, Mann says, including migration, climate and relations with Indigenous Peoples.
“The Anglican Church locally, regionally, nationally has a role in ensuring the safety and the human rights of [forced] migrants in all of our places, particularly along the routes that migrants are likely to travel,” Mann says.
That’s what the province of Mexico has been doing, she says, in ministry in camps along the route where Central and South American refugees are fleeing political unrest, crushing poverty and state-sponsored terrorism. The Mexican church and others are providing food, clothing, health care, daycare and education services as a compassionate ministry to migrants, many of whom are pausing in Mexico on a journey toward the U.S. border, Mann says.
This ministry of mercy to those searching for relief is mirrored in The Episcopal Church. The Rev. David Chavez, who works on cross-border ministry in Arizona, expressed interest in partnering with the Anglican Church of Canada to support future work in that area, Mann says.
Another thread at the meeting, Mann says, was a “deep and serious concern” about the environment—climate change, resource extraction and the health and stewardship of land and water.
Much of the conversation on these matters focused on relations with the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas and their ancestral lands, waters and territories. Mann emphasizes that the conference took place in Brazil, where Archbishop Marinez Bassotto, primate of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, hosted delegates and provided leadership in the 2025 COP30 climate conference.
Bassotto “has raised awareness about the absolutely inseparable nature of fighting for climate justice and fighting for and with Indigenous justice,” Mann says.
There may be a Primates’ Meeting for the whole Anglican Communion within the next year or so, Parker says, and in the meantime, the primates of the Americas have committed to cementing their growing bond by continuing to meet. They have discussed holding regular online gatherings, he says, as well as in-person regional meetings to alternate years with the global Primates’ Meeting, which many of them will also attend.
“The relationships are newly developed, but strong,” Parker says. “And there’s a strong desire to continue to strengthen them.”
The primates released a joint statement at the end of their meeting.
