(ACNS) The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is pleased to appoint the Revd Canon Joanna Udal to serve as the Secretary for Anglican Communion Affairs, based at Lambeth Palace.
She said: “It’s an exciting time to be involved as we try to build on the positive encounters of the Lambeth Conference and to rebuild mutual trust and recognition. We’re challenged to keep uppermost that God’s mission is for the world, as together we seek to be conformed to Christ in our identity and in our common life.”
Since 2001, Canon Joanna has been serving in the Sudan as Assistant to the Archbishop of the Sudan, an appointment made jointly through the Church Mission Society and Lambeth Palace. In this work she has travelled widely in Sudan and internationally, supporting the Archbishop in his public ministry.
This is a very good appointment indeed and very encouraging.
At least its someone that has been on the “front lines” of Christianity and can relate pragmatically to the dangerous effects of unilateral decisions from parts of the Communion that sleep safe and sound in their beds at night without fear of repercussion. Unfortunately, Sudanese Christians don’t have that luxury.
I pray that the Archbishop of Canterbury will now receive wise Christian advice from a true follower of Christ.
Since she’s been serving in Sudan, the reference to the “positive encounters of the Lambeth Conference” is odd. The Sudanese Archbishop roundly condemned the “gay” agenda at the Conference.
On one hand, it’s encouraging that this appointee has, as commenter #2 puts it, first-hand experience of the “front-lines” of Christianity in Africa. And yet… once again a Westerner. Why not a Sudanese or other African or Asian leader, rather than merely a Westerner who happens to have served abroad in the Anglican Communion?
These appointments continue to smack of colonialism, at least to me.
Katherine, I didn’t find anything too odd in the mention of Lambeth and positive encounters. Undoubtedly there were positive relationships that were begun and much useful networking, the GLBT agenda and in your face “presence” at Lambeth notwithstanding. There’s nothing here to suggest (at least to my reading) that she will be supportive of the GLBT agenda or favor TEC over the Global South.
I will pray for her and hope that she gives Africans and other Global South leaders a true voice in Communion affairs.
Graham: Can you expand on your comment in post #1?
One wishes her well.