ANGLICAN leaders from Oceania have reaffirmed their commitment to the Anglican Communion, at the end of their annual meeting last month.

At the gathering, known as a Fono, from 19 to 21 May in Honiara, in the Solomon Islands, Primates and provincial secretaries from the region were hosted by the Anglican Church of Melanesia.

In a communiqué, the members of the Fono, representing the Anglican Provinces of Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, along with Melanesia, stated “their commitment to the Anglican Communion”, and said that they had “reminded themselves that despite the many differences, they chose to work through their differences and remain in the wider Anglican Communion. . .

“The Fono members also noted the critical role of cultural norms and values that undergird many of the Fono members’ communities. Working in the region calls for a clear respect for those values and cultural practices.”

Members also declare that “the development of resources around Evangelism was urgently needed to begin to address the issues and concerns raised about the relevance of the Anglican Communion.”

The Fono identified five key areas of shared mission in Oceania: international discipleship, climate change and disaster preparedness, theological education, Pacific seasonal workers’ schemes, and violence.

Discussion on climate change focused on the immediate danger that rising sea levels cause to communities in the region. The members also heard a presentation from the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology.

Preaching at the closing service, the Archbishop of New Zealand, the Most Revd Philip Richardson, said: “It is my firm belief that those of us in Oceania have a responsibility to speak out of our experience and to inform the world to attend to the consequences of the changing climate.”