wfn.org | ACNS - Archbishop Announces New Anglican Secretary General

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 3855     |     ACO     |	  20 JULY 2004

A photograph to go with this item is available here:
http://www.aco.org/acns/articles/38/50/ACNS3855.cfm

Archbishop announces new Anglican Communion
Secretary General

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in his capacity as
President of the Anglican Consultative Council has announced the
appointment of the Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon, Director of the Irish
School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin, as the next Secretary
General of the Anglican Communion to succeed Canon John L. Peterson who
steps down in December 2004.

Dr Williams said he was delighted with the appointment: "Canon Kearon
will bring to this post a superb knowledge of the worldwide church and
invaluable experience, especially in the field of church and community
relationships and in mediation and conflict resolution. He comes at a
time when the challenges facing our Communion are enormous and the
opportunities for mission great. I look forward to working closely with
him in the service of Christ."

Canon Kearon said he was honoured to have been invited to take up this
role in the Anglican Communion. "I look forward to getting to know the
member churches, and through the work of the Anglican Communion Office,
to serve the unity and mission of our worldwide Communion."

Canon Peterson said, "I welcome the news that Canon Kearon has been
appointed to be my successor as Secretary General. I am looking forward
to working with him in this period of transition. Might he and Jennifer
be as blessed as Kirsten and I have been while I have had the great
privilege to serve the Anglican Communion as its Secretary General these
last ten years."

Canon Kearon, who is 50, will take up his duties in January 2005.

The Press Office, Lambeth Palace
Tel: 0207 898 1280/1200
Fax: 0207 261 1765
www.archbishopofcanterbury.org

Anglican Communion Office:
Tel: 0207 313 3900
www.anglicancommunion.org

Note to editors:

Canon Kenneth Arthur Kearon was born in Dublin in 1953. After education
at Mountjoy School he attended Trinity College in Dublin where he
studied Mental and Moral Science for a degree in Philosophy. After
further study in Cambridge and Dublin, he was ordained deacon in 1981
and priest in 1982. He served a curacy in the parish of All Saints
Raheny and St John's Coolock in the diocese of Dublin & Glendalough and
then was appointed Dean of Residence at Trinity College. In 1991 he
became Rector of the parish of Tullow (Dublin) before becoming Director
of the Irish School of Ecumenics in 1999. He has also, since 1995, been
a member of the Chapter of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and has
served as its Chancellor since 2002. Kenneth is a member of the General
Synod of the Church of Ireland, Co-ordinator of Auxilliary Ministry
(NSM) Training in the church, and a member of the Irish Council for
Bioethics.

He is author of Medical ethics: an Introduction (Columba 1995) and has
contributed to a number of volumes on Education, Family and Medical
Ethics.

Kenneth is married to Jennifer, and they have three daughters.

The role of Secretary General

1. The Secretary General and the staff of the Anglican Communion Office
exist to serve the various inter-Anglican bodies, and in particular the
four 'Instruments of Unity' of the Anglican Communion - the Archbishop
of Canterbury, the Anglican Consultative Council, the Primates' Meeting
and the Lambeth Conference.

2. The position of Secretary General has two major components: an
administrative responsibility as the manager of a secretariat, and an
ambassadorial function.

3. The responsibilities of the role consist of:

a) Providing leadership to the professional and international staff of
the secretariat; ensuring that adequate support, direction and
supervision is in place for all staff members, and seeing to the
effective management of personnel and resources;

b) Providing secretarial and administrative services and guidance for
many activities in which Anglicans and ecumenical guests share from all
parts of the world;

c) Preparing for and administering the meetings of the various
inter-Anglican bodies described above - and seeing to the implementation
of their decisions;

d) Facilitating, co-ordinating and encouraging other important
inter-Anglican activities and events;

e) Giving general guidance to the Ecumenical Dialogues, the work on
Mission and Evangelism, various initiatives in Theological and Doctrinal
study, and the many Networks of the Anglican Communion; and,

f) Working with others in - but not being responsible for - the
management of the Inter-Anglican budget. Principal tasks associated with
fund-raising will be managed separately, but the Secretary General will
be required from time to time to play a visible role in collective
efforts to raise funds.

___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is
distributed to more than 7,500 journalists and other readers around
the world.

For subscription INFORMATION please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.html