Le Vice-président du Comité central au Malawi

Cet été, le Vice-président du Comité central, M. Eric Sibomana, a eu le privilège de participer à un voyage missionnaire au Malawi avec Exodus Vision Ministry. Depuis 15 ans, Exodus Vision sert fidèlement les communautés à travers l’Afrique, et cette mission s’inscrivait dans la continuité de ce travail essentiel. Eric est arrivé au Malawi le 11 juin 2025, représentant Exodus Vision Belgium ASBL. Le reste de l’équipe était composé de 12 membres des États-Unis et une autre représentante d’Europe.

La première mission s’est déroulée au camp de réfugiés de Dzaleka, situé à environ une heure de Lilongwe. Ce camp abrite plus de 10 000 réfugiés, dont 70% d’entre-eux sont des jeunes. L’équipe de l’École Biblique de Vacances (EBV), dont Eric faisait partie, a partagé des histoires bibliques, des chants et des jeux pour témoigner de l’amour du Christ aux enfants.

Une grande importance a été accordée au renforcement du leadership dans les églises locales. Les pasteurs ont été formés à l’application des principes bibliques dans leur ministère et leur vie familiale. La soif de la Parole et la transformation des cœurs étaient visibles tout au long de la semaine.

Le 18 juin, l’équipe américaine est partie pour Thyolo, un district rural situé à environ 5 heures de route. À ce moment-là, Eric est rentré en Belgique, mais a resté en contact étroit avec l’équipe.

Eric partage : “Ce voyage missionnaire a été un puissant rappel que l’Évangile dépasse les frontières. Du camp de réfugiés de Dzaleka aux églises rurales de Thyolo, la lumière du Christ continue de briller à travers les efforts des ouvriers fidèles.”

Anglicanism in European Perspective

From 21 to 25 July, the Chaplain-President and the Secretary General participated in the University of Utrecht Summer School course Anglicanism in European Perspective, organised by Bishop Mark in conjunction with the Anglican Institute in Belgium and Virginia Theological Seminary.

The summer school was a five-day introduction to Anglican history and thought, all the way from the beginnings of Christianity in the British Isles to current debates in the Anglican Communion on the proper place of women and LGBT+ people in the life of the church. Jack gave lectures on "Anglicanism and the slave trade", "Anglicanism in Continental Europe" and "Anglican philosophy".

Stephen organised the technical and audio-visual aspects of the course. Each day began with Bible study and closed with worship in the Old Catholic cathedral in Utrecht in a variety of Anglican styles. The professors and the students agreed that the course should continue in future years. For more details and photos, you can see our Facebook or Instagram pages.

Fête Nationale / Nationale Feestdag

On 21 July, the Chaplain-President had the pleasure of representing the Anglicans of Belgium at the ceremonies connected to Belgium's National Day; first at the Te Deum in the presence of the King and Queen in the Catholic cathedral in Brussels, then at the lunch held by Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot at the Palais d'Egmont, where Jack had the opportunity to talk with Ambassador Léopold Bonkoungou of Burkina Faso, Ambassador Thérence Ntahiraja of Burundi and the Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of Togo.

Discussions about migration policy

On 14 July, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, participated in a meeting organised by the Wilfried Martens Centre and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung to discuss EU migration policy. The main speaker was Margaritis Schinas, formerly Vice-President of the European Commission. A full exchange of information and views took place as the European Union implements its Pact on Migration and Asylum with the aim of setting up fair and humane systems for the processing of applications for asylum and the welcome given to asylum-seekers in Europe.

Feestdag van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap

Op 11 juli 2025 de secretaris-generaal heeft de eer en plezier gehad om de Vlaams nationale feestdag te vieren bij het stadhuis in Brussel. Er werden vertegenwoordigers van alle overheden, alle kleuren van politieke partijen en de erkende levensbeschouwingen. De sfeer was feestelijk met muziek door Wim Opbrouck en toespraken van de burgemeester van de stad Brussel en voorzitter van het Vlaams Parlement, Freya Van den Bossche.

Elk jaar op 11 juli herdenken Vlamingen de Guldensporenslag op 11 juli 1302 en vieren hun autonomie als volk. De toespraken hebben de lessen vanuit het verleden naar het heden gebracht en het belang van autonomie in onze wereld van 2025. De ceremonie eindigt met het nationaal volkslied. Daarna volgde receptie, natuurlijk.

VILD denkt na over de dood

Op maandag 7 juli 2025 hebben de kapelaan-voorzitter, secretaris-generaal en tweede-secretaris van het Centraal Comité een vergadering van de Vlaams Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog (VILD) bijgewoond. Onderzoekers van de Universiteit van Antwerpen hebben hun nieuw project voorgesteld aan de leden van de VILD. Ze kijken naar de veranderingen wat afscheidsrituelen betreft in een steeds meer diverse samenleving. Alle levensbeschouwingen bieden graag troost en steun aan de familie en vrienden van de overledene op het meest kwetsbare moment van het leven. Er kwam ook voorstel voor een verfilming van de verschillende tradities maar tegelijkertijd zijn de levensbeschouwingen unaniem overtuigd dat de planning begint met luisteren naar de wensen en mening van de familie en niet één vorm van een ceremonie die iedereen past.

Op het eind van de vergadering namen twee belangrijke leden afscheid van de VILD. Prof. Remi Baekelmans zal DeMens.Nu niet meer vertegenwoordigen. Hij is al sinds 2014 een van de oprichters van de VILD. Mevrouw Inge Hellemans heeft ook afscheid genomen om les te beginnen geven in september. Mevrouw Hellemans heeft al 5 jaar de notulen van de VILD vergaderingen gedaan namens de Vlaamse overheid. Daarnaast heeft ze hulp aan alle voorzitters gegeven. Het Centraal Comité wenst Prof. Baekelmans en mevr. Hellemans veel succes toe in de toekomst.

Publication of Dutch services for use in Church of England parishes

Bishop Robert has authorised the experimental use for two years, before final versions are submitted to the General Synod for permanent approval, of several Dutch-language services: baptism, marriage, funeral and Holy Communion. These new liturgies, spearheaded by the Revd Dorienke de Vries, Assistant Chaplain in Arnhem and Nijmegen in the Netherlands, are the fruit of 14 years of debate and discussion. The Chaplain-President, when he was chaplain in Leuven, experimented with earlier versions of Dutch services, with advice from Dutch and Flemish students at KU Leuven and ETF Heverlee. The Secretary-General, when he was chaplain in Gent, chaired the Mission Working Party which pressed ahead with this project. The Central Committee rejoices that these services in one of the federal languages of Belgium are now widely available for our Flemish parishes' use. (For Church of England parishes in Wallonia and Brussels, authorised French translations of several services in Common Worship. The Episcopal Church USA recently authorised an entirely new French translation of the Book of Common Prayer)

Petertide ordinations in Brussels

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.

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.

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.