Every three years in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, missional Anglicans serving around the world come together to celebrate, reconnect, learn and hear God’s call afresh for their next season of ministry. This year more than 1,200 registrants gathered from September 26-29 under the theme, “Better Together.” 

Great emphasis was placed on working together to support the growing suffering church amidst risk and persecution, but also to embrace the moment where mission movements are expanding in unprecedented numbers. Archbishop of Sri Lanka The Most Rev. Dhiloraj Canagasabey spoke to this suffering in his context of the Easter bombings, “There is no true understanding of discipleship apart from the reality of suffering and the cross.” 

More than 50 countries were reported to be represented at the conference where the consistent challenge was to go and make disciples of all nations. This call was reflected by the speaker, Rev. Tad de Bordenave, founder of Anglican Frontier Mission (AFM), in proclaiming,

“A great commission has come to us from heaven. It has the moral authority of Christ’s expectation for what we do...We don’t have the authority to delete, alter or ignore part of what God has told us he expects the church to do.” 

The Sudanese Bishop Andudu Elnail of the Episcopal Diocese of Kadugli, succinctly summarized the call for all of us as followers of Jesus Christ by encouraing,

“The missions starts with the people near you: we love our neighbors, we love our enemies.” 

Archbishop Ben Kwashi, Jos Nigeria, Gafcon General Secretary

Mama Gloria Kwashi, Women's Ministry Network Leader