Meeting of FIDIF

On Monday 30th of March, the Chaplain-President, Secretary-General and Second Secretary hosted delegates from the Recognised Convictions for their regular meeting together, called the FIDIF (Federale Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog/Dialogue Interconvictionnel Fédéral), held at Holy Trinity Brussels.

FIDIF's main purpose is to prepare for the regular meetings of the Dialoograad/Conseil de Dialogue, the statutory dialogue between the Recognised Convictions and the Federal Government.

At yesterday’s meeting, there was also a chance for each conviction to share updates about positive points and challenges that they are experiencing. A common theme at each meeting is also exploring how all the Recognised Convictions can support one another and work together to benefit the wider society.

Staten Generaal PARCUM

Op 26 maart 2026 vond de Staten Generaal van PARCUM over religieus erfgoed plaats bij de anglicaanse kerk Holy Trinity te Brussel. Minister Ben Weyts gaf het openingswoord. De keynote ging over continuïteit in tijden van verandering. En paneldebat nam dat thema over voor meer perspectieven en werd gevolgd door discussie in kleine groepen. Een rode draad was dat zorg voor erfgoed is niet enkel voor de experten en een brede groep vrijwilligers in elke dorp en gemeente is nodig. Het evenement was een groot succes. Dank aan iedereen die heeft geholpen.

Historic moment in the Church of England

On 25 March 2026, nearly 2000 people gathered at Canterbury Cathedral for the installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of the Church of England. Given that 9 of the 10 Anglican parishes in Belgium are under the canonical authority of the Diocese in Europe, which is part of the Church of England, this is a point of celebration for roughly 20,000 Anglicans in Belgium. VRT video montage. In fact, Archbishop Sarah became the Archbishop of Canterbury earlier this year. The installation took place on the Feast of the Annunciation, celebrating the moment that Mary, the mother of Jesus said “Yes!” to God which has particular similarities to the events in Canterbury Cathedral.

Other parts of the worldwide Anglican Communion have already had female bishops and archbishops, but this only became possible in the Church of England recently when Libby Lane was consecrated in 2015.

Archbishop Sarah had a 20 year career in nursing with the NHS and was recognized for her work as Chief Nursing Officer when Queen Elizabeth II bestowed on her the honorrifc title of ‘Dame’. Bishop Robert Innes of the Diocese in Europe writes, “Bishop Sarah moves from being Chief Nurse to Chief Shepherd.” Archbishop Sarah’s link to nursing could be seen during the ceremony by the clasp on her cope was made from the buckle on her old nursing uniform.

Those who have known Archbishop Sarah describe her with words like: magnanimous, generous and that she is an ‘encourager’ of others. Having already been the Bishop of London since 2018, and the fourth woman to be consecrated as a bishop in the Church of England, she is quite used to challenges to her authority due to her gender, but she always handles it with grace. Again, words used to describe her leadership style are: calm, consistent, compassionate, even cautious. Many in the Church of England welcome Archbishop Sarah’s leadership as, “a safe pair of hands.”

Archbishop Sarah turns 64 today.

The Central Committee joins with Anglicans across the country to pray for Archbishop Sarah in this important and challenging ministry.

Terre de Sens visits Holy Trinity Brussels

On Wednesday 25th of March, a group of 15 visitors from the Roman Catholic organisation Terre de Sens came to Brussels from Namur to visit the Pro-Cathedral of Holy Trinity.

Terre de Sens regularly organises ecumenical and interfaith encounters, and this was an opportunity for members to hear more about the Anglican Church in Belgium. They were welcomed by the clergy of Holy Trinity and the Central Committee of the Anglican Church, followed by a brief history of Anglicanism and an introduction to who Anglicans in Belgium are by the Senior Chaplain of HTB, the Revd Arani Sen, and the Second Secretary. After a tour of the buildings, the group took part in the mid-week Eucharist and later enjoyed a meal provided by Community Kitchen, a charity that prepares 5000 meals a week for those in need in the city of Brussels. The day ended with a Q&A session with the Chaplain President, which led to some interesting discussions about the differences and similarities between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches.

PARCUM AV en BO

Op 19 maart 2026 nam de secretaris generaal deel van twee vergaderingen op een rij bij PARCUM in het Abdij van Park te Heverlee. In de voormiddag vond de algemene vergadering plaats meteen gevolgd door het bestuursorgaan. Gelukkig was er een broodjeslunch tussen voorzien. Religieus erfgoed is van ons allen en gelukkig heeft PARCUM de expertise om lokale geloofsgemeenschappen te helpen met het beheer van ons patrimonium.

AIB Anglican Insights: Liquid hope and the End of Everything

On Wednesday 18 March 2026, the Anglican Institute in Belgium (AIB) hosted an online lecture as part of its ongoing series ‘Anglican Insights’. The lecture by The Revd Dr. Myron Penner (Chaplain, Saint John’s, Gent) looked at how we, as Anglican Christians in Europe, might offer hope in a world that is struggling with a long list of challenges – polarisation in society and politics, the rise of AI, climate crisis and an every growing list of conflicts and wars. Myron used two films, Melancholia, and Life is Beautiful, to examine previous understandings of hope and a proposal for a type of hope that is necessary in the current context.

Those who would like to watch a recording of the conversation should contact the AIB Registrar for the link.

The Chaplain-President visits Durham University

On 18 March, the Chaplain-President, in his capacity as adviser to the Anglican Institute in Belgium paid a courtesy-call on Cranmer Hall Durham, one of the largest theological colleges of the Church of England. Cranmer Hall is a constituent part of St John's College in Durham University, where Bishop Robert is chair of the Board of Trustees, and has close links with the Department of Theology and Religion in Durham University. Jack had the pleasure of meeting the Revd Dr Nick Moore, the Revd Dr Joshua Cockayne and the Revd Dr Paul Regan on the faculty of Cranmer Hall and discussing possible links between Cranmer Hall and the AIB.

Emouna België bezoekt de anglicaanse kerk in Brussel

Op een bijzonder mooie dag in februari (25 feb.) is Emouna België pp bezoek gekomen bij de anglicaanse kerk Holy Trinity te Brussel. Deze groep bestaat uit studenten van alle erkende erediensten in Vlaanderen. Dit jaar gaat het programma door in het nederlands. Op die dag hebben ze verschillende lezingen gehad over intercultureel en diverse geloofsgemeenschappen in een samenleving. Ze waren te gast bij Community Kitchen voor een lekkere lunch en wat toelichting over hun werk in het sociale middenveld. De namiddag begon met een rondleiding over de anglicaanse kerk in België door de secretaris-generaal. Daarna zijn ze in groepjes verdeeld om over hun ervaringen te praten over bepaalde thema's. Het was een mooie dag geweest binnen en buiten de kerk.

The Chaplain-President in the European Parliament

On 25 February, the Chaplain-President, in his role as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, attended a restricted meeting of the Article 17 Dialogue chaired by Ms Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament, to discuss the immediate future of the Article 17 high-level and public dialogues, with the secretariats of the European Parliament and European Commission Article 17 dialogue teams in attendance. Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Evangelical, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Bahai and Mormon lobbyists shared with Vice-President Sberna their vision for the most suitable subjects for debate in 2026 and 2027 and for the best ways to attract the interest of MEPs in the very interesting content of the dialogues.

The Central Committee at Deanery Chapter

The Chaplain-President is a member of two chapters in the Diocese in Europe: the diocesan chapter is composed of all the canons whose stalls are situated in the three Church of England cathedrals in Gibraltar, Valletta and Brussels (Jack's stall is St Anselm's stall in Holy Trinity Brussels), and the deanery chapter for Belgium and Luxembourg, which is the gathering off all clergy who hold Bishop Robert's licence in those two countries. On 23 February, the Area Dean, Canon John Wilkinson, convened a meeting of the deanery chapter for prayer, for mutual support and for information-sharing and updates. For the ten clergy who attended, it was a very pleasant afternoon of talk, news and support.

The chefs de culte speak out about prison conditions

Following the Sant'Egidio breakfast on 11 February, at which the Minister of Justice Annelise Verlinden discussed the state of Belgium's prisons with the chefs de culte, the Chaplain-President alongside the other chefs de culte has issued a statement carried in De Morgen and La Libre, which supports Minister Verlinden in her ongoing attempts to improve the conditions of prisoners in Belgium, to explore alternative and effective punishments which do not involve incarceration and to support the quiet but diligent work of rehabilitation done by our prison chaplains and counsellors. The statement may be read here in French  and in Dutch.

Meeting on Anglican and Catholic synodalities

On 16 February, the Central Committee bureau was delighted to welcome Deacon Koen Jacobs, parish deacon of the Catholic parish of Sint-Katelijne-Waver near Mechelen - where the Filipino Anglican community linked to St Boniface Antwerpen also worships - and the Archdiocese of Mechelen and Brussels' officer for ecumenism, for a discussion to follow up Mgr Terlinden's request made during the Malines Conversations Centenary Conference last year for the Chaplain-President to assist the Catholic archdiocese in thinking through how synodality can benefit the Churches. Our picture shows the ecumenical evensong on 21 September 2025 at the end of the centenary conference, in which (among many eminent Church dignitaries) Mgr Terlinden, Deacon Jacobs, the Chaplain-President, Vice-President and Secretary-General are all processing to the choir of Mechelen cathedral.

Consultation des chefs de culte avec le ministre wallon du Territoire

Le 13 février, le chapelain-président a accompagné les autres chefs de cultes et convictions reconnus au cabinet du ministre François Desquesnes, ministre wallon du Territoire et des Pouvoirs Locaux, pour une consultation détaillée sur une éventuelle réforme des lois relatives à l'organisation du temporel des cultes et convictions reconnus en Wallonie. Une conversation très positive et fructueuse y a eu lieu. Parmi les bonnes idées énoncées par le ministre Desquesnes était l'établissement d'un équivalent wallon du très efficace "VILD", le dialogue officiel entre les cultes et convictions reconnus et le gouvernment flamand.

The Minster of Justice addresses the chefs de culte on prison reform

On 11 February, our friends in Sant'Egidio, Baron Jan De Volder and Baroness Hilde Kieboom, invited the chefs de culte and other religious leaders in Belgium to their annual Interfaith Harmony Breakfast in the Hôtel Le Plaza in Brussels, where the keynote speaker was the Minister of Justice, Mevr Annelise Verlinden. An extremely interesting and frank discussion followed about the situation of prisons in Belgium, the needs of prison personnel and prisoners, and the role of prison chaplains in alleviating some of the social problems inside prisons.

Ministry inside the prisons is a vital part of Anglican ministry in Belgium - if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a volunteer prison chaplain, the Central Committee is open to receiving applications. Find out more about the job and requirements here.

Training Day for Anglican Prison Chaplains

On 4 February, the Anglican Institute in Belgium organized a training day for Anglican prison chaplains, the first for 2026. The training day took place at Holy Trinity Brussels and was conducted mainly in French. The morning started with prayer and a lively bible study on the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), led by the prison chaplain coordinator, Eric Sibomana. The training workshop, led by Rebecca Breekveldt, the Second Secretary of the Central Committee, focused on constructive disagreement based on principles from cultural and communication studies. The participants shared insights and experiences from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, with a common goal of developing their ministry to detainees in Belgium.

The Chaplain-President busy teaching!

10 February saw the Chaplain-President lecturing in the morning at FUTP Bruxelles for a new course entitled Les Eglises en Europe aux 19e et 20e siècles and in the afternoon in KU Leuven for a course entitled Anglican Theology. These courses are organised in association with the Anglican Institute in Belgium. Our picture shows some of the KU Leuven students after today's lecture, representing Australia, the Netherlands, Bénin, Romania, Burundi, Vietnam and Canada - the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies in KU Leuven has the most international student body in the university.

Article 17 dialogue in the European Commission

On 9 February, the Chaplain-President, in his role as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, participated in an article 17 dialogue in the European Commission, chaired by Vincent Depaigne, at which the principal speaker was Michaela Moua, the Commission's coordinator on combating racism. Ms Moua spoke on the Commission's Anti-racism Strategy 2026-2030 and took questions from the lobbyists present on the effectiveness of this strategy and on how the Commission could work with partner institutions, for example the Churches and other faith groups, in developing strategies and action across the EU to root out racism and the causes of racism.