INTRODUCTION

The Archbishops Reconciliation Ministry (ARM) is a small team within the Reconciliation Ministry at
Coventry Cathedral dedicated to supporting the ministry and vision of Archbishop Justin in carrying forward
his missional priority of Reconciliation.

ACTIVITY and PEOPLE

Any on-going programme or specific projects seek to serve the Archbishop as he carries out his
archiepiscopal ministry. Its work develops along three tasks: private office, programme and projects.
Providing private office support is a core component of the work of the Archbishops Adviser for
Reconciliation. This involves a range of tasks, writing briefs, drafting speeches and articles, staffing
meetings with church and civic leaders, advising on policy and the development of this priority.
The ARM team works to develop and maintain a programme of activity that will express specific
aspects of the Archbishops reconciliation ministry. They also work to develop and fund time limited
projects to address specific needs.
At present the ARM team consists of:
Archbishops Adviser for Reconciliation: seconded to the private office at Lambeth where they are
part of the L8, the senior leadership team of advisers to the Archbishop.
Programme Co-ordinator: Based at Coventry and responsible for overseeing the programme work of
the team and providing executive support to the director.
Project Co-ordinator: Based at Coventry and responsible for coordinating specific projects.
In addition there is close collaboration with the Canon for Reconciliation at Coventry.

Coventry Cathedral
Archbishop Justin is committed to locating his reconciliation ministry within the Reconciliation Ministry at
Coventry Cathedral. This provides an already existing organisation for his reconciliation priority while in
office and a vehicle to take forward any legacy of this ministry beyond his tenure. In addition the partnership:
Provides a vehicle beyond Lambeth Palace to develop this aspect of his ministry, and by locating in
a diocese contributes to collegiality, ownership and decentralisation.
Enhances Coventry Cathedrals role and opportunity to develop as a world centre for reconciliation.
Ensures that the energy and resources released through the Archbishops ministry have a
sustainable context in which they will be taken forward when he leaves office.
The story of the life and witness of the community of Coventry Cathedral, its ruins and rebuilt Cathedral, has
shaped the story of Coventry as a city of peace and reconciliation. It is a major centre for the welcome and
resettlement of refugees, holds an annual peace festival and is home to two universities. Coventry University
has a highly respected Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, which is the UKs premier centre for
peace studies and research. It has recently launch Rising: a Global Peace Forum, held each November.
The Cathedrals reconciliation ministry has two main components relevant to the ministry of ARM.
Community of the Cross of Nails (CCN): Founded in 1974 to draw together the various fruits of the post
war international reconciliation ministry at Coventry Cathedral. Since then it has developed to a network of
some 200 CCN Partners in over 35 countries, drawn together by Coventrys story of reconciliation with
Germany to work and pray together for peace and reconciliation. Under the theme of Growing Together in
Hope, each are committed in some way to one of three strands of activity: healing the wounds of history;
learning to live with difference and celebrate diversity; building a culture of peace.
St Michaels House (SMH): Launched to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the rebuilt Cathedral in 2012 as a
focus for the reconciliation ministry into the future. As a Space for Hope to Flourish, it provides a safe
environment for people to meet, often with deeply held differences and longstanding conflicts. Its evolving
learning programme provides opportunity for people to develop the skills, knowledge and spiritual formation
to be effective in the ministry of reconciliation, especially in difficult places.

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Funding
Core funding for the Adviser for Reconciliation is provided equally through Lambeth Palace working costs
and the Lambeth Partners, an independent charitable fund that supports the Archbishop of Canterbury. In
addition Lambeth Partners support the Canon for Reconciliation post at Coventry.
The Diocese of Texas currently provides core funding to support the Programme Co-ordinator. Project Co-
ordinator costs are raised through the funding of specific projects, currently through Trinity Wall Street and
the Chris Flowers Foundation.
Conversations are on-going with the Lambeth Partners, Diocese of Virginia and the Compass Rose Society
to try and secure further funding for programme development and delivery and specific projects as they
arise.

STRATEGIC PLAN
A major review is underway led by the Chief of Staff and Strategy to develop a seven-year plan for the
Archbishops ministry focusing on the Lambeth Conference in 2020. It will weave together Archbishop
Justins three personal priorities: Prayer and the Renewal of Religious Life; Reconciliation; Evangelism and
Witness along with the Renewal and Reform agenda within the Church of England and the missional
development of the Anglican Communion.
The challenge for the Adviser for Reconciliation will be to further integrate this work within the mission and
strategic plan of Coventry Cathedral
As a starting point the current thinking on the Reconciliation priority is set out below.

MISSION:
The fourth mark of mission agreed by the Anglican Communion is: to seek to transform unjust structures of
society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.

TASK:
To promote a vision of a church living as a reconciled and reconciling community as a witness of its
life together in Christ in service of the wider world.

To deliver an effective programme to enable this vision to be developed in the personal ministry of
the Archbishop and in the life and witness of the Anglican Communion and the Church of England.

To work within the context of Coventry Cathedrals reconciliation ministry as a place of hope and
healing, a story of post war reconciliation and a space for encounter, reflection and learning.

AIMS:
The Archbishop: a reconciling leader
To support and advise Archbishop Justin, using his time and personal contribution effectively
throughout the Archbishops reconciliation ministry programme.

Anglican witness in a world of conflict

To resource and enable Anglicans to contribute to transforming conflict and ending violence within
and between communities and among peoples.

The Church as a reconciled and reconciling community

To support and resource the Church of England as it works to strengthen the churchs capacity to
transform conflict where there are deeply held differences.

To support and resource the leaders of the Anglican Communion as it seeks to walk together while
acknowledging deeply held differences of theology and practice.

Coventry Cathedral: a world centre for reconciliation

To work in collaboration with the Dean and Canons and in partnership with the Canon for
Reconciliation to draw from and contribute to the Cathedrals reconciliation ministry.

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MINISTRY:
Over the next four years the focus of this priority will shift from the internal facing to the outward looking.

Anglican witness in a world of conflict

Objectives:
Nurture conflict resilience to sustain the life and witness of churches through times of prolonged and
serious violent conflict.

Develop understanding, knowledge, skills and capacity to avoid colluding in the divisions, prejudices
and hatreds, which lead to and sustain conflicts.

Build the capacity and commitment of churches to peacebuilding and reconciliation through
research, resources and relevant training.
Through working with:

Leaders (church, community and civic) in specific countries and regions where wide ranging issues
(cultural, economic, political, religious and social) result in on-going tension and conflict.

Diaspora communities in the UK related to these countries to inform and encourage their
engagement with these issues.

Partners and networks to develop initiatives promote research and deliver training.
Archbishop Justin to focus his time, skills and contribution on these areas.

Outcomes:
Direct support in 6 strategic countries of focus: regular visits, roundtables, diplomatic engagement.
Co-ordinated response to conflict in three regions of focus: Great Lakes, MENA, South Asia
Three strategic / resource / support programmes piloted and established: Lambeth Conversations on
religiously motivated violence (RMV); Reconciliation Companions and Advisors; Reconciliation
Resource Hubs based in Cathedrals in countries / regions of focus.

Growth in Coventry CCN Partners and in the use of St Michaels House as a resource for learning.

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