08/06/2026
Gathering Anglicans from around the world, the 19th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-19) will take place in Belfast from June 27 – July 5, 2026. Themed ‘Called to One Hope’ from the letter to the Ephesians, this important international gathering of Anglican bishops, clergy and laity will explore how the Church can share the reconciling love of Christ in a fragmented world.
Supported by the Anglican Communion Office and hosted by the Church of Ireland, ACC-19 will also be the first official Anglican Communion meeting attended by the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Sarah Mullally DBE.
The ACC facilitates the cooperative work of the member churches of the Anglican Communion in the areas of mission and unity. Its meetings include updates from member churches, reports from the commissions and networks of the Communion, and resolutions concerning shared priorities that the members of the ACC wish to address.
Meeting every three years, the Anglican Consultative Council is one of four ‘Instruments of Communion’, alongside the Lambeth Conference, Primates’ Meeting, and Archbishop of Canterbury. Every member church is entitled to send up to three representatives, which include both clergy and lay people, as well as bishops. The last ACC met in Ghana, in 2023.
The 2026 ACC-19 meeting in Belfast will combine sessions for Bible Study and prayer, member church updates, and a series of ‘Global Conversations’ addressing topics of mutual concern in church and world affairs. Through a lens of both mission and advocacy, these will include discipleship, safe church, peace and reconciliation, migration and the environment.
As a consultative council, the ACC also focuses on proposals and resolutions submitted by official commissions and networks of the Anglican Communion. At ACC-19, these will include ‘Vision 36’ a bold church-planting initiative of the Anglican Communion Commission for Evangelism and Discipleship (ACCED). The Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission (ACSCC) will also bring proposals for embedding effective safeguarding standards and processes within the lives and contexts of all member churches.
ACC members will also undertake a daylong pilgrimage, visiting sites of historic importance, to learn more about the Irish experience of conflict and the church’s ministry in peace and reconciliation. The host church will organise the opening and closing services at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.
Another major focus will be consideration of proposals concerning Christian unity, Anglican identity and the structures of the Communion. Daily sessions will be hosted by the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) and resolutions emerging from its paper, The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals, published in 2024.
The paper was commissioned at ACC-19 in 2023 ‘to help address our differences in the Anglican Communion’ in service of ‘seeking to walk together to the highest degree possible.’ The paper is set within the longstanding commitment of the Anglican Communion to answering God’s call to unity in the Body of Christ.
The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals outline two principal measures. The first proposes an updated description of the Anglican Communion to reflect its current structure and reality. The revised description enables all Anglicans to speak truly and honestly about the faith, ministry, and mission that they share.
The second proposes a broadening of the leadership of the Anglican Communion, to better reflect the diversity of the Communion in today’s world and ensure that the leadership of the Communion ‘looks like the Communion.’ The proposed modest structural reforms are offered to enhance the collegiality of the Instruments and complement the unique ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Since publishing its original paper, IASCUFO has engaged in a period of listening to responses, with an eye to presenting revised proposals for ACC-19 this June. This has entailed careful consideration of various published responses, online consultations with bishops and members of the ACC, ecumenical consultations, and regular conversations with the Standing Committee of the Communion and with Archbishop Mullally. The commission will publish a ‘Supplement’ to The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals in the days ahead, along with a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) text as an accompaniment.
More information will be released about the Anglican Consultative Council in the coming months. The Anglican Communion Office is contacting member churches, commissions and networks regarding submission processes and dates for reports.
Looking ahead to the Anglican Consultative Council, the Secretary General, the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, said: ‘In 2026, the Anglican Communion Office will facilitate the 19th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council. We look forward to collaborating with the Church of Ireland, as it hosts this important gathering. We are in contact with all the churches of the Communion as plans take shape. I encourage every church to send members to participate in the important discussions of ACC-19.’
The Most Reverend John McDowell, The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said: ‘The Anglican Consultative Council plays an important role in the life of the Anglican Communion, gathering representatives from our diverse Anglican family for consultation, prayer and fellowship. The Church of Ireland is looking forward to being the host Province for the meeting of ACC-19 in 2026 and we will continue to pray for all those that will take part. May it be a fruitful opportunity for Anglicans to be together in God’s presence as a community within the body of Christ and to discern God's will for His Church in our day, so that we may be equipped by the Spirit to respond to the needs of the world.’
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Sarah Mullally, said: ‘In a fractured world, and an often divided church, the Anglican Communion is such a profound gift. As I begin my ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury, I am so grateful for this global community of Anglicans, all bound by our shared faith in Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to spending time at the Anglican Consultative Council with bishops, clergy and laity from across the world, celebrating our common ministry, enriching one another's faith, and looking for new ways to walk together. In this spirit of collaboration, I return to my favourite proverb: 'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together'. I believe that by working together, and with God's help, the Anglican Communion can offer good news to a world in great need. I also look forward to considering IASCUFO’s Nairobi-Cairo Proposals, as we seek to respond to God’s call for the Church to be one and explore ways of walking together to the highest degree possible.’
The Rt Revd Graham Tomlin, Chair of IASCUFO, said: ‘In our polarised world, it can be easy to feel — even in the Church — the impetus toward division and separation. But Christ calls his Church to unity. When Christians find ways to walk together across deep disagreement and difference, there is so much we can do to impact the world for good. As we prepare for ACC, I look forward to sharing the fruit of IASCUFO’s labours as presented in The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals and our supplementary paper. In the power of God’s Spirit, I pray that we may have the courage and honesty to attend to deeply held disagreements within our Communion, with the conviction and obedience to respond to Christ’s call.’
