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.

Interview du chapelain-président par Radio France Internationale

Le 8 février, le chapelain-président a été longuement interviewé par Véronique Gaymard de RFI au sujet des réactions africaines à la nomination de Mme Sarah Mullally comme 106e archevêque de Cantorbéry. Jack y évoquait son récent voyage au Cameroun ainsi que les dynamiques postcoloniales qui influencent toujours les réponses des anglicans africains aux initiatives émanant de l'anglicanisme européen et nord-américain.
(Ecouter l'enregistrement à partir de la 31e minute.)

Sarah Mullally, première femme à être nommée cheffe spirituelle de l’Église d’Angleterre dans l’histoire, ici sur les marches de la cathédrale St Paul à Londres après la cérémonie de confirmation de son élection, le 28 janvier 2026. © Alberto Pezzali/AP

Meeting with the Warden of Cranmer Hall Durham

On 4 February, Bishop Robert and the Chaplain-President were delighted to meet the Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall in Durham University UK, which is among the largest and most flourishing of the Church of England's theological colleges. Jack was able to explain the growing work and activities of the Anglican Institute in Belgium and ideas were shared about possible future common projects between Cranmer Hall and the AIB, building on the very successful annual Cranmer Hall Belgium Mission Study Bloc which was organised by Jack before the covid pandemic.

Chaplain-President addresses Diocese in Europe's chapter on Cameroon

On 3 February, the Chaplain-President, as canon theologian and a member of the chapter of the Diocese in Europe (which combines the canons of Holy Trinity Gibraltar, St Paul's Malta and Holy Trinity Brussels), spoke to the chapter on his recent research trip to Cameroon, outlining the interviews which were conducted and offering some conclusions about how Central African Christians are addressing the needs of their churches in a post-colonial and anti-colonial context.

Training day on Anglican heritage with PARCUM and Evadoc

On Saturday 31st of January, the Secretary General, the Second Secretary and the Registrar of the AIB joined representatives from Flemish parishes in the English Church in Ostend for a training morning on preserving Anglican heritage in Flanders.

We first enjoyed an informative session by Judith Delbaere from PARCUM, the expertise centre on religious heritage in Flanders and Brussels. Judith talked about best practices around managing and maintaining heritage sites for Anglican congregations that own or rent their church building and offered helpful advice on accessing government subsidies.

During the second session, we heard from Aaldert Prins from Evadoc, who gave an introduction to Oral Histories as a way of preserving stories from across our communities for future generations.

A delicious lunch was provided by the English Church, and it was a wonderful opportunity to admire the new church building, which was renovated in 2022.

Meer informatie vindt u hier.

AIB Learning Lab

On 28 January 2026, the AIB hosted its latest edition of the Learning Lab, a network of academics connected to Anglican churches in Belgium. On this day, the newly appointed AIB Registrar, Karen Papellero, shared insights her Masters and PhD research about trauma theology through the lens of women who have been 'left behind' as a result of former President Duterte's war on drugs in the Philippines. After Karen's presentation, the group engaged in a fascinating discussion that touched on a wide range of topics. 

PARCUM x3 op 1 dag

Op 26 januari 2026 ging de secretaris-generaal naar PARCUM voor een volle dag van bijeenkomsten.

Eerst vond er een vergadering plaats van het Bestuurs Orgaan. PARCUM is op zoek voor een meer vaste locatie voor een erfgoed depot en wij hebben gehoord over een nieuwe mogelijkheid in Vlaams Brabant. Er wordt ook gesproken over een positieve financieel verslag van 2025. En wij kregen een update over het verzoek van een nieuwe voorzitter en penningmeester.

Daarna was het tijd voor de jaarlijkse Nieuwjaars receptie. Dit was het moment om Lieve Van Hoofstadt te bedanken voor haar 8 jaar als directeur van PARCUM. Lieve was centraal in een tijd van grote verandering in de organisatie. Wij zullen haar missen.

Ten slotte, kwam de tweede secretaris ook bij PARCUM langs om de laatste punten te bespreken over de anglicaanse erfgoedvormingsdag die plaats zal vinden op 31 januari 2026 bij de anglicaanse kerk te Oostende.

The Chaplain-President in Cameroon #3

On 26 January, the Chaplain-President, in his role as Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs, visiting Neo Industry in Kékem, near Bafoussam in Cameroon as part of his brief to follow the European Commission's 2020 Sustainable Cocoa Initiative. Mr Samuel Boog and Mr Loïc Ella gave up their morning to inform and show Jack Neo Industry's mission to produce high-quality local cocoa, without foreign interference and using local employees. The two-hour visit was a thorough education. A present of cocoa powder was given, which Jack will ensure makes its way to Archbishop Sarah as soon as possible.

Le chapelain-président au Cameroun #2

Le voyage de recherche du chapelain-président se déroule bien : lui et ses étudiants ont interviewé le pasteur Jean Libom (président du Cameroon National Prayer Breakfast), le pasteur Jean-René Awoumou (Eglise Protestante du Cameroun), M. John Essobe (Conseil des Eglises Protestantes du Cameroun), M. Ulrich Mvate (Humanity First, une association travaillant avec la communauté LGBT au Cameroun). Tout s'est déroulé dans le cadre de la plus chaleureuse hospitalité des Camerounais.

Le chapelain-président au Cameroun

Du 19 au 29 janvier, le chapelain-président voyage au Cameroun, accompagné par deux de ses étudiants camerounais : Silvère Olongo (qui prépare une thèse doctorale sur les attitudes protestantes envers la communauté LGBT) et Christian Kwayep (qui prépare une mémoire de master sur le dialogue chrétien-musulman). Le 21 janvier, Jack a fait une conférence au département d'anthropologie de l'université de Yaoundé 1 sur l'inculturation de la pensée religieuse en Afrique. Le reste du temps sera consacré aux entretiens pour les thèses des étudiants et à la mise en relation avec les mondes universitaire et ecclésial au Cameroun.