By Andrew Atherstone, Anglican Ink. (photo: Bishop Martin Morrison, image credit: Anglican Ink)
Missionary clergy
On Wednesday 21 May 2025, the Archbishop of York received notification from the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH SA) of their plans to ordain “missionary clergy” for ministry in England. “A group of churches from various Church of England dioceses”, declared Bishop Martin Morrison from Gauteng, “have approached us with a request: that we consider ordaining a number of emerging leaders, all of whom are appropriately selected and theologically trained.” Following the commendation of the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) in December 2023 by the Church of England’s House of Bishops, these young leaders found themselves unable “in good conscience” to pursue ordination through the normal channels, and their congregations were deeply concerned that “no clear or lasting pastoral provision has yet been made”, especially in terms of “legal and permanent structural protections or future ministry pathways”. Therefore, Bishop Morrison explained to the Archbishop, REACH SA had decided to accede to their request for ordination. He emphasised: “This decision has been made with the aim of sustaining and advancing faithful Anglican evangelical witness and to ensure we do not lose a generation of gifted gospel workers to ordained ministry.” Morrison’s letter was copied to the Bishop of London (in the absence of an Archbishop of Canterbury) and to the Bishop of Leicester (lead bishop of the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) project until his sudden resignation in early June).
REACH SA is part of the glorious array of global Anglicanism. Known officially as the Church of England in South Africa (CESA), it was rebranded in 2013 and its mission purpose, as its new name suggests, is to “Reach South Africa with the good news about Jesus”. It is a growing, evangelistic branch of the Anglican family. There are currently 137 REACH parishes in South Africa, plus over 100 parishes in neighbouring Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its theological college, George Whitefield College in Cape Town, attracts Anglicans from across the continent of Africa.