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Oct 30, 2018

Compass Rose Society Holds Annual Meeting in London

The Compass Rose Society, an international charitable organization that provides financial support to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Consultative Council, held its annual meeting in London on October 9 and 10.

In 2017, the Society donated over $685 thousand including gifts to the Anglican Consultative Council; the church of Southern Africa in support of the ACSA Environmental Network; Coventry Cathedral to support the Archbishop of Canterbury’s reconciliation work, and the Princess Basma Centre for Children with Disabilities in the Diocese of Jerusalem.

Since its founding in 1997, The Society has donated over $11 million to support the mission of the Anglican Communion. In 2017, the Society provided approximately 20 percent of the income of the Anglican Consultative Council.

Bishop C. Andrew Doyle, the Society’s president, told members that the previously announced initiative to fund an endowment of $10 million for the work of the Communion was underway. A 2017 news release describing the history of the Society and the plans for the endowment is linked here http://bit.ly/CRSendowment.

In addition, Bishop Doyle indicated that the Society’s initiative to raise $1 million in scholarship assistance for bishops and spouses who require assistance to afford the travel expense to attend the 2020 Lambeth Conference will be a major focus for the coming year.  

Speakers at the two-day annual meeting offered members an up-to-date view of the work of the Anglican Communion.

Phil George, chief executive officer of the Lambeth Conference, updated members on plans for the meeting and thanked the Society for raising funds for scholarships.

The secretary general of the Communion, Archbishop. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, thanked the society for its support and reviewed his recent travels throughout the Communion. Others addressing the meeting were:

  • The Most Revd Thomas Kanjirappally Oommen, Moderator of the Church of Southern India and Bishop of Madhya
  • The Most Revd Maimbo Mndolwa, Archbishop of Tanzania and Bishop of Tanga
  • The Rt Revd C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas and president of the Society, who reviewed the Society’s recent work and announced that the newly formed Hong Kong chapter was beginning a cooperative project with Myanmar Theological College in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Members also heard remarks from Michela Southworth, the Communion’s director for finance and resources, the Very Revd Randy Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral and Professor Olu Jegede representing the Walter Miller University in Diko, Nigeria. The university is being established by the Anglican Church in Nigeria in honour of Dr. Walter Miller, a Missionary active in establishing schools, a church, and dispensary in Northern Nigeria from 1902 to 1929. 

Stuart Kensinger of Jerusalem Peace Builders, an interfaith, non-profit organization that promotes person-to-person engagement among the peoples of Jerusalem, the United States, and the Holy Land, also addressed the meeting.

During a visit to Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, members heard Archbishop Welby discuss the recent activities of the Communion and plans for the upcoming 2020 Lambeth Conference. He invited the Society to support the conference and to help raise funds that will help enable bishops to attend. Members then enjoyed dinner with the Archbishop and Mrs. Welby followed by Compline in the chapel of Lambeth Palace

Compass Rose Society Board of Directors and Officers

The Society elected The Rt. Rev. Jane Alexander, Bishop of Edmonton, as a new director to serve a four-year term.

The Society’s other officers and directors are:

The Very Rev. Andrew Asbil, bishop coadjutor- elect of the Diocese of Toronto

The Rt Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Houston, TX, bishop of the Diocese Texas, president of the Society

Robert J. Biehl, Houston, TX, treasurer of the Society

Michael J. Brown, Montevideo, Uruguay

The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope, provost, Washington National Cathedral, first vice president of the Society

The Very Rev. Chun Ho Samson Jeremiah Fan, dean, All Saints Cathedral, Hong Kong, SAR, vice president of the Society

The Rev. Canon Michele V. Hagans, Washington, D.C., Diocese of Washington, D.C.

Mark Hemmingway, Ontario, Canada

The Revd Andrew Merrow, rector, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, VA

Anne M. Moore, Minneapolis, MN

Carlos R. Muñoz, White Plains, NY

The Revd Canon Benjamin Musoke-Lubega, Trinity Church Wall Street, New York, NY

The Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, Hendersonville, NC, former secretary general of the Anglican Communion and past-president of the Society

The Rt. Rev. M. Philip Poole, vice president and past-president of the Society

The Rt. Rev. Gregory Rickel, bishop of the Diocese of Olympia, Seattle, WA

Charles M. Royce, Riverside, CT

The Rev. Pamela Cottrell Shier, Mount Morris, PA, rector, Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, Salem, WV

James W. Stevens, Houston, TX

David Sik Hung Tse, Central, Hong Kong, SAR

The Most Rev. Dr. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion London, UK

Della Wager Wells, St. George’s College, Jerusalem, secretary of the Society

Membership information is available at the Society’s Web site www.compassrosesociety.org.