The opening Eucharist of the 19th Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-19) was celebrated at St Anne’s Cathedral in the heart of Belfast — the mother church of the Diocese of Connor, Down and Dromore. Delegates gathered for prayer and worship to mark the first day of the nineteenth in-person meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC-19).

The cathedral's foundation stone was laid in 1899, and it has since stood as a symbol of unity and reconciliation in a city shaped by a history of conflict. In 2007, the 40-metre stainless steel Spire of Hope was added to the cathedral. Visible across the Belfast skyline, it stands as a beacon of hope and a place of sanctuary.

The celebrant of the Eucharist was the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd John McDowell, who also welcomed the congregation. The sermon was given by the Chair of the Anglican Consultative Council, Canon Maggie Swinson.

The congregation included the ACC-19 delegates, members of Anglican networks and official Commissions, staff and ecumenical guests from around the Anglican Communion, as well as laity, clergy and bishops and of the province of the Church of Ireland. Members of the ACC participated in the liturgy, including Ms Agnes Lam, a Youth Representative from Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, who read the Epistle in Traditional Chinese (Cantonese dialect) and the Prayers of the People were led by Joaquin Philpotts from Iglesia Anglicana de Sudamérica (Diocese of Argentina) and Revd Dr D.J. Ajith Kumar, Provincial Secretary for the Church of North India. They prayed particularly for the movement of the Holy Spirit, for the meeting of the ACC and for those around the world who are displaced. As communion was being received, the uilleann pipes, the national bagpipes of Ireland, were played.

In the sermon prepared for the opening service, Canon Maggie cited the biblical readings of: Genesis 22:1–14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12–23 and Matthew 10:40–42. She emphasised that the central theme running through these passages centred on the idea that faithfulness is not found in certainty or control, but in trusting God enough to remain in relationship with one another and attentive to the work of the Spirit.

Reflecting on Genesis 22, in which Abraham obeys God’s command to sacrifice his son, she shared, ‘This is not a text to handle lightly, and it is not a story that invites easy explanations. But one thing it does show us is that faithfulness is not the same as possessing certainty. Abraham does not move forward because he has mastered the future. He moves forward because he entrusts himself to the God who has called him.’

About the Gospel passage she said ‘Jesus turns our attention to actions that may seem small but are never insignificant in the kingdom of God. A welcome offered. A person received. A cup of cold water given. These are not marginal acts. They are revelations of the life of Christ among his people….I have seen this myself in the Communion in quiet acts of faithfulness:
Older girls mentoring younger ones so that they are more likely to remain in education and continue into secondary school, and walls turned into chalkboards so that children can gather after school for extra learning and encouragement.’

She closed her sermon by speaking directly to the delegates at ACC-19. ‘So as we gather here before God, and as the Council begins its meeting, we do not need to pretend that every question is already resolved, or that every tension will simply disappear. The Scriptures do not offer us that promise today. What they offer is deeper and truer: a call to faithfulness. A call to trust God without demanding complete certainty. A call to belong to Christ so fully that our conduct is shaped by his holiness and grace. A call to receive one another in such a way that the welcome of Christ becomes visible among us. We may still carry the cry of the psalmist, “How long, O
Lord?” But we carry it as those who also say, “I have trusted in your steadfast love.” And above all, we remember that the Church is not held together by our skill, our confidence or our control, but by the crucified and risen Lord who has called us and will not abandon his people.’

The first day of ACC-19 concluded at Belfast City Hall, where delegates gathered for a formal dinner and a programme of Irish entertainment hosted by the Church of Ireland and the Anglican Communion.

More information

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Photos from the service can be downloaded here.

Learn more about St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast and the Church of Ireland