The Church of Ireland’s senior leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to the Anglican Communion following recent moves by the conservative GAFCON movement to distance itself from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In a joint statement released on Monday, the Most Rev John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and the Most Rev Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, said they wanted to “clarify some matters of fact” after GAFCON’s communiqué The Future Has Arrived.
They explained that the Anglican Communion is made up of autonomous provinces, including the Church of Ireland, that voluntarily join together through four main instruments of unity: the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates’ Meeting, and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC).
“Our bishops receive invitations to and usually attend the Lambeth Conference,” they said. “The Archbishop of Armagh attends the Primates’ Meetings and the General Synod appoints representatives to the ACC.”
While acknowledging that debate and diversity have always been part of Anglican life, the archbishops stressed that the Church of Ireland “recognises no body other than the one described” as the legitimate Anglican Communion.
They said: "There are many organisations and movements within the Anglican Communion who wish to reform aspects of the Communion and how it works. The Communion has always welcomed and accommodated debate and diversity of this nature. However, the Church of Ireland recognises no body other than the one described in the preceding paragraphs as the Anglican Communion".
The archbishops didn't shy away from the Communion's flaws. They added: "We do not suggest that the Anglican Communion as it has existed in history and continues to exist today is a perfect organisation. It is inevitable that those who hold to the Anglican theological method involving Scripture, Tradition and Reason, and working out our discipleship in autonomous but interdependent Provinces will not agree on everything.
"However, praying always for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are committed to studying the Scriptures and learning from the insights of the past together with our fellow Anglicans, in communion, around the world."
The next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council will be hosted by the Church of Ireland in Belfast in summer 2026.
The statement came days after the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion said divisions "which strain and wound the Communion" require "urgent attention and repair".