It is traditional in the Anglican tradition for new priests and deacons to be ordained at Petertide, the days before and after St Peter's day on 29 June. On this date in Holy Trinity Brussels, an enormous, overflowing congregation braved the tropical heat to witness the ordination of six deacons and one priest by Bishop Robert, assisted by Bishop Andrew and a great crowd of thirty or so clergy from around the diocese, including the Chaplain-President in his capacity as canon theologian of the Diocese in Europe. Our picture shows Jack with the Revd Annie Bolger and her newly deaconed husband, the Revd Dr Jacob Quick. They both began their discernment process for ordination under Jack's guidance when he was chaplain of St Martha and St Mary Leuven and they were students at KU Leuven. This week, Annie and Jacob leave Belgium for St Edmund's Oslo, where Jacob will serve his curacy and Annie will be assistant chaplain. We wish them every blessing in this new adventure in ministry and service!
AIB Board meeting Academic year 2024-2025
On 25 June 2025, the AIB Board met at the conclusion the academic year 2024-2025. They discussed the current training and students as well as the finances of the AIB, as well as future training opportunities and new potential students. We are thankful for all those who have spent the last year learning with us, sharing their knowledge and who share our mission of preparing and enabling Anglicans for various ministries.
The AIB receives its funding from the Central Committee, which in turn receives operating funds from the Ministry of Justice. It enjoys links with FUTP, KULeuven and the Centre for Peace and Conflict Transformation. The Board agreed to include anti-radicalisation training a core component going forward and will look to build links with other groups who are interested in this training.
In July, the Chaplain-President and Interim-Principal will contributing to “Anglicanism in European Perspective” which is offered by the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe and will take place from 20-25 July 2025 in Utrecht.
Plans are already underway for the 2025-2026 academic year. Please be in touch with the AIB Registrar for more information.
New Member of the Central Committee: Ms Grace West Adenekan
On 19 June 2025, we were very pleased to receive the news that the Minister of Justice in the name of HM the King has approved a new member of the Central Committee: Ms Grace West Adenekan. She succeeds the Reverend Dr Catriona Laing, who resigned in July 2023.
According to the law of 1875, the members of the Central Committee are appointed by the King of the Belgians on the advice of the Chaplain-President (or in the case of a vacancy for the post of Chaplain-President, on the advice of the Bishop of Gibraltar-in-Europe).
We are thrilled to welcome Grace to the Central Committee, and she will carry out this role on top of her work as a prison chaplain and as a lay reader at Holy Trinity Brussels. Welcome, Grace!
Meeting with the Minister of Justice
On 18 June, the Chaplain-President, Secretary-General and Second Secretary were received by Mevr Annelies Verlinden, Federal Minister of Justice, and her staff at her cabinet in Brussels, for a substantial discussion on the Anglican Church in Belgium today, on our demographics, social composition, the different ministries we exercise in parishes, prisons, schools and society, and on the ways in which we can serve the public good at home and elsewhere in the world.
Veillée de prière à l'occasion des 1700 ans du Concile de Nicée / Gebedswake bij de 1700e verjaardag van het Concilie van Nicea
Le 15 juin 2025, le chapelain-président avait l'honneur de participer à la célébration œcuménique du 1700e anniversaire du credo de Nicée à la cathédrale catholique des Saints-Michel-et-Gudule de Bruxelles, aux côtés de Mgr Luc Terlinden, de Mgr Athénagoras de Belgique et du pasteur Steven Fuite. Sœur Julian, une bénédictine anglicane, y a fait des prières, en présence du chanoine John Wilkinson, du secrétaire-général et de la deuxième secrétaire. Tous les chefs de culte ont prêché, Jack abordant le thème de l'Esprit-Saint dans le credo de Nicée. La musique était assurée par une chorale orthodoxe d'une beauté sublime.
Op 15 juni 2025 had de kapelaan-voorzitter de eer om deel te nemen aan de oecumenische viering van de 1700ste jubileum van de Geloofsbelijdenis van Nicea in de rooms-katholieke kathedraal Saint-Michel-et-Gudule in Brussel, samen met aartsbisschop Luc Terlinden, bisschop Athénagoras van België en pastor Steven Fuite. Zuster Julian, een anglicaanse benedictijnse, sprak een gebed uit in aanwezigheid van Kanunnik John Wilkinson, de secretaris-generaal en de tweede secretaris. Alle hoofd van de erediensten preekten, waarbij Jack het thema van de Heilige Geest in de Geloofsbelijdenis van Nicea behandelde. De muziek werd verzorgd door een subliem mooi Orthodox koor.
General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches
On 13 June, the Chaplain-President, representing the Anglican and Old Catholic members of the CEC, was Moderator of the General Assembly of CEC, chairing a meeting of delegates from 59 member Churches to agree the annual report and the accounts for 2024 and to address the activities and expenditure of CEC in 2025.
Malines Conversations 100 Conference
On the hottest day of the year to date, 12 June 2025, the Chaplain-President and Secretary-General attended a planning meeting at the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel’s palace in Mechelen for the conference to celebrate the centenary of the Malines Conversations between Anglicans and Roman Catholics which proved to be a major turning point in ecumenical relations more broadly.
The conference will be led by the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel (RC) and the Archbishop of York (CofE) from 18-21 Sept. 2025. There will be a number of lectures and opportunities to network as well as ecumenical worship and prayer. A choir from Christ’s College Cambridge will be singing at the closing service of Evensong on the afternoon of 20 Sept. Anyone interested can register via this link.
For further information, please contact the office of the Central Committee.
The European Parliament discusses the housing crisis
On 4 June, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, attended and spoke at a formal Article 17 Dialogue in the European Parliament on the subject of the growing housing crisis in the EU (where 8 million housing units are urgently needed and over 1 million people are currently homeless) and the implications for social unrest and political radicalisation of the failure to address the crisis. This debate was also Jack's first opportunity to encounter the new European Commissioner responsible for Article 17, Magnus Brunner. The debate was expertly chaired by our friend Nicola Censini, the officer of the Parliament responsible for Article 17, alongside Antonella Sberna, vice-president of the Parliament.
Het Centraal Comité doet mee aan het Groot Onderhoud
Op dinsdag 3 juni reisden de secretaris-generaal en de tweede secretaris naar Brugge naar het BMCC om deel te nemen aan een sessie van het Groot Onderhoud, het jaarlijkse overleg- en ontmoetingsmoment van en voor de cultureel-erfgoedsector georganiseerd door FARO.
Dit jaar was het thema ‘In beeld, buiten beeld’, en we zijn uitgenodigd om de anglicaanse gemeenschap in België te vertegenwoordigen door PARCUM, KADOC-KU Leuven en Werkplaats Immaterieel Erfgoed, nadat we hadden deelgenomen aan hun project ‘Wat geeft zin? Praktijken, tradities en gewoonten die jij beleeft in het kader van jouw levensbeschouwing’. We deelden het voorbeeld van gastvrijheid als immaterieel erfgoed van de Anglicaanse Kerk en beantwoordden graag de vragen van bezoekers aan onze tafel.
Ministry Placement in Brussels
Richard, an ordinand at St. Augustine’s theological colleget in Kent is doing a 1-week ministry placement at Holy Trinity, Brussels. He was raised in Tervuren and when an opportunity arose to connect with his roots and learn about mission and ministry in Belgium, Richard was eager to do his ministry placement here.
As part of the placement, Richard spent several hours learning about the work and scope of the Central Committee. We discussed the blessings, challenges and great potential for Anglican ministry in Belgium. It was a pleasure to meet Richard and wish him all the best in his continued training.
Journée nationale de formation des aumôneries anglicane et protestante de prison
Le 24 mai, l'ensemble du Comité central (Jack, Eric, Grace) et de son bureau (Stephen, Rebecca) étaient présents à Holy Trinity de Bruxelles pour accueillir la journée annuelle de formation des aumôneries anglicane et protestante de prison, qui s'est déroulée entièrement en français cette année. Après une célébration animée par le chanoine Arani Sen de Holy Trinity, la journée - animée par la deuxième secrétaire - s'est concentrée sur des différences et préférences culturelles qui peuvent perturber la communication en milieu carcéral. Le lunch a été offert par la Community Kitchen de Holy Trinity. C'était la première fois que les anglicans organisaient cet événement important : nous remercions l'Institut anglican de Belgique et son coordinateur Mathias pour leur soutien logistique précieux.
Verklaring over het conflict in Gaza / Déclaration sur le conflit à Gaza
Meeting of the Chapter of the Diocese in Europe
The Chapter in an Anglican diocese is the meeting of the canons, senior clergy appointed by the bishop to advise him or her because of their experience or particular skills. The Diocese in Europe has three cathedrals (in Gibraltar, Brussels and Malta) whose canons make up a single Chapter. On 19 May, the Chapter met by zoom to hear from Canon James Buxton in Istanbul about the Nicea1700 celebrations commemorating the Nicene Creed of 325, which remains a doctrinal basis for all mainstream Christians. In terms of Belgian members, we were delighted to welcome to Chapter (in addition to the Chaplain-President, Canon John Wilkinson and Canon Ann Turner who are already members) Canon Arani Sen and Canon Jean-Bosco Turahirwa, both from Holy Trinity Brussels.
Visit of the Revd Dr Michael Rusk to Brussels
On 17-18 May, Michael Rusk, rector of Emmanuel Church Geneva and responsible for clergy discernment in the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, visited Holy Trinity Brussels, first to give a lecture to the Anglican Institute in Belgium on Anglicans in Dialogue - on the different ways in which the two Anglican provinces represented in most of continental Europe (Church of England and Episcopal Church USA) approach their vocation, mission and ministry; then to attend the graduation ceremony of the Centre for Peace and the Transformation of Conflicts run at Holy Trinity Brussels by Canon Jean-Bosco Turahirwa. An Episcopal Church ordinand being trained by the Anglican Institute in Belgium was graduating and Michael naturally wanted to come and support him.
Eucharistie d'action de grâce pour les 57 ans de Sant'Egidio
On 18 May, the Chaplain-President was honoured to attend a mass at Notre-Dame aux Riches Claires, Brussels to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the foundation of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic charity which works tirelessly for the disadvantaged in Europe and the Middle East, especially in organising the Humanitarian Corridor to enable refugees to be welcomed and helped to integrate into Western European countries. The Central Committee has had a wonderful relationship with Sant'Egidio in recent years, welcoming three refugee families from Syria to our parishes in Gent and Leuven (one of our photos shows the Chaplain-President and Secretary-General with one of these families). The mass was concelebrated by Mgr Guy Harpigny, bishop of Tournai, and several Catholic priests, one of whom was Père Jérôme Bountsébé from Cameroon, one of Jack's PhD students in KU Leuven.
Ecole Doctorale de la FUTP Bruxelles
Le 14 mai, après son congé de maladie, le chapelain-président a eu le plaisir de réintégrer l'école doctorale de la FUTP Bruxelles en sa qualité de professeur titulaire, d'assister à la conférence de la prof. Silvia Mancini (de l'Université de Lausanne) sur les relations entre le religion et la culture sous-jacante, et de faire le point avec ses propres doctorants Nathan Ngoy et Silvère Olongo : de bonnes retrouvailles !
Waarom zijn de anglicanen ook geïnteresseerd in Paus Leo XIV?
Afgelopen weekend werd deze vraag aan de kapelaan-voorzitter gesteld. Het Centraal Comité heeft minstens twee antwoorden:
Eerst, de Kerk van Engeland was in gemeenschap met de rooms-katholieke kerk van 597 tot 1534, wat een veel langere periode is dan onze scheiding van de kerk van Rome. Net als de orthodoxe kerken zien wij paus Leo XIV als patriarch van het Westen en een vader in God. Paus Leo is het spirituele hoofd van 1,5 miljard rooms-katholieken wereldwijd, wat de grootste religieuze groepering ter wereld is zonder vergelijking. Bovendien is hij het hoofd van Vaticaanstad. Dus beleefdheid, goede manieren en oecumenische interesse versterken ons verlangen om belangstelling te tonen voor paus Leo, voor hem te bidden en (ondanks de bekende doctrinaire verschillen tussen Canterbury en Rome) hem te steunen en samen te werken met de Kerk die hij leidt.
Ons tweede antwoord komt voort na de gruwelijk islamofobische moord op 25 april in Frankrijk op Aboubakar Cissé, die 57 keer werd neergestoken terwijl hij onschuldig een bezoeker rondleidde in een moskee waar hij vrijwilliger was. In een wereld vol verschrikkingen herinnert deze misdaad ons eraan dat onwetendheid, onverschilligheid en het weigeren om in dialoog te gaan met mensen die anders zijn dan wij, een voedingsbodem vormt voor vervolging, moord en oorlog. Wij zijn dankbaar dat België een systeem heeft van erkende levensbeschouwingen die niet alleen worden aangemoedigd maar ook verplicht zijn om te praten, te dialogeren en samen te werken. Wij zijn vereerd en verheugd om deel te nemen aan deze dialoog, in het vertrouwen dat deze de wereld kan veranderen. Onze foto laat zien hoe wij dat deze week met alle andere erkende levensbeschouwingen hebben gedaan.
In deze geest zeggen we nogmaals: God zegene Paus Leo.
Meeting of the FIDIF
On 12 May, The Chaplain-President, Secretary-General and Second Secretary welcomed at Holy Trinity Brussels the Fidif, the informal body of the heads of the recognised convictions which meets to prepare for the formal meetings of the chefs de culte and the federal government, called the Dialoograad/Conseil de Dialogue. A very full agenda of current topics was discussed.
Election of Pope Leo XIV
The Central Committee expresses its joy at the election by the College of Cardinals in Rome on 8 May of Cardinal Robert Prevost as pope. The new Pope Leo XIV is the first pope to come from North America, and the first native English-speaking pope to be elected since the Englishman Adrian IV in 1154. With a father of French origin and a mother of Spanish origin, and after a priesthood and episcopate exercised largely in Peru, Pope Leo is a truly international figure. Our friend Archbishop Luc knows him well following several visits to Belgium, the most recent with his predecessor Pope Francis last year. We will keep him in our prayers as he begins his new global ministry, honouring him as patriarch of the West and hoping earnestly for renewed unity, common ground and mutual action between Catholic and Anglican Christians during his pontificate.
Eucharistie à l'occasion de la mort du pape François / Eucharistieviering ter gelegenheid van het overlijden van paus Franciscus
On 24 April, a large Anglican delegation (from the Central Committee: Chaplain-President, Vice-President, Mrs Grace West, Secretary-General, together with Canon John Wilkinson from Holy Trinity Brussels) were honoured to attend a mass in memory and thanks for the life of Pope Francis in the Koekelberg Basilica in Brussels, which although it is Belgium's largest church and the 14th largest church in the world, was full to bursting for the occasion. Mgr Luc Terlinden (Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels), Mgr Franco Coppola (Papal Nuncio to Belgium) and the Catholic bishops of Belgium concelebrated the mass. Mgr Terlinden gave a superb sermon based on Pope Francis' three priorities for mission: evangelism/openness to the world, joy, mercy. Everyone was delighted to welcome King Albert and Queen Paola, who at 90 and 87 are solid proof that age is no barrier. Representatives of Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Islam and Buddhism were also present, underlining the universal appeal of Pope Francis and the determination of the faiths of Belgium to live and work together.