'It's a Privilege to Be an Anglican'

New deacon reflects on summer program at Canterbury Cathedral

The Reverend Jason Roberson, Deacon and Curate at Holy Cross Faith Memorial in Pawleys Island, spent the first two weeks of June at Canterbury Cathedral in England. He participated in the annual Anglican Scholars Pilgrimage program in residence at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, forming part of a group 26 priests, deacons, and seminarians from 15 different provinces across the Anglican Communion. Each day the participants attended Matins, Holy Communion, and Evensong in the cathedral and took part in daily Bible study, lectures, group discussions, and guided excursions to historic and sacred sites in the area.
 
The Anglican Pilgrimage program aims to foster unity and to strengthen relationships across the Anglican Communion by the sharing of challenges, successes, and resources among clergy and seminarians.
 
One important part of the program was the opportunity to meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. Members of the group spent an hour with him at Lambeth Palace in London, and they were able to ask questions about the Anglican Communion and about issues facing the Church today. 
 
The topic of division and schism was discussed during the meeting, both in the context of the Episcopal Church in the United States as well as in the Church of England and other provinces. The Archbishop commented, “We must be able to disagree without hating each other.” He expressed his commitment to facilitating the process of reconciliation and of healing across the Communion, wherever division exists.
 
The Anglican Communion Office in London coordinates an extensive range of programs, organizations, and ministry networks that fall under the umbrella of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Some of these ministry and outreach programs focus on issues such as gender-based violence, women in Church and society, and human trafficking. The website of the Anglican Communion is a valuable resource at both the parish and diocesan level:  www.anglicancommunion.org. 
 
Jason shared some of his experiences from Canterbury at Holy Cross Faith Memorial on July 16 and 23 in a forum called “It’s a Privilege to be an Anglican.” 
 
“As Episcopalians, it’s so important for us to remember that we are also Anglicans,” Jason says. “It is a fundamental part of our historic identity and of our shared mission with other Anglicans across the world.  It is a privilege to be an Anglican and to share in such a broad depth of resources for ministry, outreach, and for helping those in need. 
 
“As our presiding bishop Michael Curry has said before, the Anglican Communion is all about relationships,” Jason says. “These are relationships that help us to better carry out God’s mission here in South Carolina and abroad.”