Central Committee Board meeting

On 10 June, the Central Committee Board met for its quarterly meeting at Holy Trinity Brussels. These meetings are a chance for Chaplain President Jack McDonald, vice-president Eric Sibomana and Grace West to receive updates from the Central Committee office and AIB Registrar, and to discuss Anglican ministries in Belgium, ongoing projects, and finances.

Yesterday’s meeting also included a small celebration for the Chaplain President’s 60th birthday!

Visiting parishes

The Secretary-General feels blessed to be invited to visit Anglican parishes across Belgium. In some small way, leading or preaching at these services can be a tangible reminder of the larger Anglican family across the nation, in Europe and around the world. It is an honour to meet so many people who care deeply about Anglican ministry from every corner of the country.

On Sunday 31 May 2026, the morning started by leading the service at St. George’s, Ieper on Trinity Sunday. Then, in the afternoon, there was another service for the Anglican mission congregation in Kortrijk who use the Bidkapel in the Sint-Janskerk.

On Sunday 7 June 2026, the morning started by worshipping at St. John’s Anglican Church in Gent and then preaching at Evensong for the patronal festival of St. Boniface, Antwerp, which was followed by a lovely party in the garden.

It is truly inspiring to experience the unity of the Anglican family in Belgium, while also treasuring the diversity of its people and their ways of worshipping.

AIB Academic Advisory Board

Twice a year, the AIB Academic Advisory Board meets with the AIB and Central Committee staff to receive updates about the progress being made and plans for the future. The Anglican church in Belgium is blessed to have such a high proportion of excellent scholars to provide guidance as the AIB continues to grow and carve out training opportunities for Anglican ministry in Belgium and beyond. On Wednesday 3 June 2026, the AIB Board met in the theological library of KU Leuven thanks to Prof. Patmore.

latest FIDIF meeting

On Tuesday 2 June 2026, the Central Committee hosted the latest meeting of the Federal Interconvictional Dialogue in Belgium (FIDIF) at Holy Trinity, Brussels. The meeting was chaired by Isabel Detavenier, the new President of the United Protestant Church (EPUB/VPKB) and the Second Secretary serves as secretary of the meeting as well. The agenda items were far ranging to include the latest events in terms of dialogue with the Ministry of Justice, the Federal government and opportunities for future events to support those in need in our society.

140 years of Holy Trinity Brussels

From the 29th to the 31st of May, Holy Trinity Brussels celebrated its 140th anniversary in the current building with a ‘weekend away at home’ festival. The programme included concerts, picnics, a quiz night, craft moments and guest speakers such as Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, Revd Rachel Summers and Chris de Fortis.

On Sunday, the Chaplain President took part in the 2 PM service at which Bishop Lusa presided and preached. His sermon centred on three points related to how the Church interfaces with the world today: humility, hospitality and hope.

Levensbeschouwelijk onderwijs update

Beste vrienden en voorstanders van interconfessioneel onderwijs,

Allereerst wil ik iedereen bedanken die zijn steun en solidariteit heeft betuigd aan het anglicaanse godsdienstonderwijs in Vlaanderen en aan onze leerkrachten, leerlingen, scholen en hun gezinnen. Ook dank aan iedereen die heeft deelgenomen aan de Actiedag op 20 mei in Brussel.

Goed nieuws!!! Gisteren werd bekendgemaakt dat de regering op dit moment niet zal doorgaan met de voorgestelde hervormingen van het interconfessionele onderwijs. Hier zijn enkele links met meer informatie:

Nieuwsflits Erkende Instantie & Thomas: Geplande hervorming levensbeschouwelijke vakken op 1 september 2026 geschrapt

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/05/28/hervorming-levensbeschouwelijke-vakken/

Aan alle collega’s en sympathisanten

De afspraak - donderdag 28 mei 2026 om 20:35 | VRT MAX

Voorlopig geen hervorming levensbeschouwelijke vakken: "Dankbaar, anders dreigde complete chaos" | VRT MAX

We hopen dat dit betekent dat onze leerkrachten en leerlingen kunnen genieten van een rustig einde van het semester en uitkijken naar meer verrijkend onderwijs in september. Houd hen alstublieft in uw gebeden.

Als u, of iemand die u kent, geïnteresseerd is om ARE-leraar te worden, neem dan contact op met zuster Julian

Oost, west, kerk best

Na een week vol met vergaderingen gaat de secretaris-generaal regelmatig voor in de viering ergens in het land. Op 31 mei 2026 is de dag begonnen bij St. George’s Memorial Church te Ieper en dan in de namiddag bij de anglicaanse missiekerk in Kortrijk die de Sint-Janskerk bidkapel gebruikt voor de eredienst. In beide plekken hebben wij de zondag van de Drievuldigheid gevierd.

CAGO vzw AGM

Op woensdag 27 mei 2026, hebben de kapelaan-voorzitter, secretaris-generaal en tweede secretaris, plus de studiecoördinator van het anglicaanse instituut in België de algemene vergadering van het vzw Comité voor Anglicaans Godsdienstonderwijs bijgewoond. Afgelopen jaar was een moeilijke periode voor alle erkende instanties en ook voor CAGO waar de al beperkte financiële middelen van de Vlaamse overheid niet voldoende zijn om de kosten van de instantie te dekken. Tegelijkertijd zet de overheid meer druk op de leerkrachten en inspecteurs.

Levensbeschouwelijk onderwijs in gevaar

Op 20 mei 2026 namen een aantal anglicanen deel van een actie tegen de voorgestelde hervorming van de Vlaamse minister van onderwijs wat levensbeschouwelijk onderwijs betreft. De bedoeling van de minister is om €100 mil. te besparen. Dit zal meer dan 1000 leerkrachten hun jobs eisen en impact hebben op meer dan 30,000 leerlingen en hun gezin. Deze actie werd georganiseerd samen met de andere erkende levensbeschouwingen in Vlaanderen en de vakbonden.

58 years of Sant Egidio in Belgium

On Sunday May 10th, the Chaplain President attended a service to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the community of Sant Egidio in Belgium. The service was celebrated in a packed OLV-ter-Rijkeklaren Church in Brussels. Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, spiritual advisor to Sant’Egidio, presided over the celebration. He emphasized: “In a diverse metropolis like Brussels, our presence and our genuine solidarity with the poor are more important than ever.”

Welcome to Belgium, Revd Robert Kozak!

On Saturday, the Chaplain-president and the Second Secretary were delighted to attend the licensing of the Revd. Robert Kozak as the new Assistant Chaplain and Missioner at Holy Trinity Brussels

The service took place at HTB and the Archdeacon of North-West Europe, the Ven. Sam van Leer, presided. During the service, Revd. Robert was warmly welcomed by members of the parish and ecumenical partners. Afterwards, we enjoyed a reception hosted by Community Kitchen, a charity which provides over 5000 warm meals a week for those in need across Brussels. Part of Revd Robert’s ministry will be to support this organisation.

We wish Robert and Michal many blessings as they begin this new chapter, and we wish them all the best as they settle into life in Belgium!

Anglican Representation at Key Military and Interfaith Events in Brussels

On Monday 27 April 2026, the President of the Central Committee, Jack McDonald, and the Vice‑President, Eric Sibomana, attended the Symposium on Spiritual Care and Military Medicine: Insights from the War in Ukraine at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels. Medical professionals from the Belgian Defence and a Ukrainian delegation of military chaplains and medical officers shared their experiences, highlighting the challenges of mass‑casualty response, mortuary affairs, and the profound human and ethical dimensions of military operations.

The following day, Tuesday 28 April, the Belgian Defence Military Chaplaincies held the Interconvictional Ceremony in honour of Belgian veterans, under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King, on the theme “Close at Hand, in Peace as in War.”  A particularly moving moment was the symbolic Artoklasia (Bread Sharing), an Orthodox rite of blessing and fraternity, performed jointly by a Belgian and a Ukrainian veteran — a powerful gesture of shared humanity at the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Archangels in Brussels.

The President, the Vice‑President, and the Secretary‑General, Stephen Murray, were honoured to represent the Anglicans in Belgium at these significant events.

Laatste vergadering van de VILD

Op maandag 27 april 2026 hebben de kapelaan-voorzitter, secretaris-generaal en tweede secretaris de laatste vergadering van het Vlaams Interlevensbeschouwelijk Dialoog (VILD) bijgewoond. De voorzitster van de DeMens.Nu had de voorzitterschap bij deze vergadering die plaatsvond op het bureau van federale vereniging van de humanisten in België. VILD leden hebben verslag gehoord van onderzoekers van Universiteit Antwerpen over de evaluatie van de erediensten decreet (2024). Daarna was er veel gesproken over de laatste erkenningsdossiers met vertegenwoordigers van de Vlaamse overheid. Van grote belang was ook discussie over de huidige situatie van levensbeschouwelijk onderwijs en een voorgestelde beslissing van de minister.

Filippino community in Mechelen reflects on 1 year of worshipping together

On Sunday 26 April 2026, the Secretary-General was honoured to be present at a celebration of the Eucharist with the members of the Anglican Filippino congregation which has been worshipping together montly in Mechelen for just over a year. The service takes place in a mixture of English and Tagalog while also blending elements of the Church of England and a traditional Filippino mass. Appropriately, it was ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’ where we reflected on those who are called to vocational ministry. After the service, while members of the congregation were enjoying some excellent hospitality, the Secretary-General facilitated a conversation to reflect on their time together as a worshipping community and to consider what the future might hold for them.

Mission to Seafarers, Port of Antwerp

On Thursday 16 April 2026, the Secretary-General met with Steve Morgan, Regional Director of Europe for Mission to Seafarers (MtS), The Revd Stephen Graham, Chaplain at St. Boniface, Antwerp, and The Revd June-Mark Yanez, who is an Assistant Chaplain at St. Boniface and MtS Chaplain to the Port of Antwerp. The meeting took place at the MtS Welfare Center right by the port.

The Port of Antwerp is one of the largest in the world and a major economic hub in Flanders and Belgium. Every year thousands of ships pass through the port with seafarers who are away from their families for months at a time, often under difficult circumstances. Pastoral care, a listening ear and practical help are an important part of the diaconal service offered by Revd. June who works within an ecumenical team in the port. Combining these duties with parish responsibilities can be tricky so this meeting was a chance to ensure that all parties are working towards a common goal.

In the Central Committee cycle of prayer, we pray for Revd June and MtS on the 22nd day of every month.

Safety and places of worship in the city of Brussels

On Tuesday April 14, the Vice-president of the Central Committee, Eric Sibomana, attended a training day on safety and places of worship in the city of Brussels. The events was hosted by safe.brussels and leaders from all faith groups were warmly invited to attend.

In the afternoon, participants worked in small groups and shared best practices on improving safety in places of worship. Case scenarios were also used to share practices and strengthen security awareness.