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Inter Faith issues first appeared on the programme in a substantive if limited way at the 1988 Lambeth Conference. NIFCON was founded in 1993 and its first Convenor was appointed (on secondment) in 1994.
The first NIFCON Convener, Revd Nigel Pounde edited a newsletter, NIFCON News, 'to gather and disseminate information about relations with people of other faiths across the Anglican Communion ... and to draw up an agenda that reflects accurately the concerns of the provinces.' from Lent 1994 to Epiphany 1997. The current newsletter, with similar aims, first appeared in March 2004. It is the place where those working in inter faith relations around the Provinces share information. It can only be as representative as the contributions supplied, so please keep the news coming...........
All the newsletters are archived here.
The Lambeth Conference 1998 further recognised NIFCON as a way of sharing news, information, ideas and resources among provinces of the Anglican Communion. NIFCON was also charged to monitor Muslim-Christian relations (which it does partly through the Christian Muslim Digest and to report regularly to the Anglican Consultative Council. NIFCON’s representative on the ACC is currently Professor George Koshy of the Church of South India.
Who We Are
Three Anglican Bishops have accepted the invitation from the Secretary General to become Presidents of NIFCON.
- The Most Reverend Josiah Fearon, Kaduna, Nigeria
- The Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali, Rochester, England
- The Rt Revd Luis Tsui, Eastern Kowloon, People’s Republic of China
Their role is to speak regularly on behalf of NIFCON and its aims in different settings; support and represent NIFCON’s Mission Statement; encourage key people in the Province where they are based, and elsewhere, to contribute to the Network in terms of information sharing and relationship building and to work actively with the Management Group to raise funds.
The Management Group are Anglican inter faith experts who work in parishes, in academic, or specialist inter faith positions. They meet at The Anglican Communion Office, London, England, about three times a year to plan and resource NIFCON’s work.
There are also nearly 200 corresponding or news receiving members of the network around The Communion.
NIFCON is grateful to honorary patrons Mr Alan & Ms Leilani Weirick, The Revd Sarah Buxton-Smith and others who support our work through the Compass Rose Society, to our Friends and also to Dr Dennis W. Johnson and Anglican Internet Services for their work in establishing the first NIFCON website.
NIFCON has two part time Staff, Clare Amos, Co-ordinator and Susanne Mitchell, Administrator, in London, England, and an honorary Staff Assistant Lucinda Mosher who represents NIFCON in North America. Andrew Wingate similarly represents NIFCON in Europe.
NIFCON Management Group
The Rt Revd Clive Handford was Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf and President Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. He now lives in the North of England and is an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds.
The Revd Michael Ipgrave worked from 1999 for the Church of England centrally, as national inter faith relations adviser, and secretary of the ecumenical Churches' commission for Inter Faith Relations. Has recently moved from the multi-faith city of Leicester, where he was for thirteen years a parish priest, to become Archdeacon of Southwark in London.
The Rt Revd Michael Jackson after ordination in the Church of Ireland worked in Oxford as college chaplain and lecturer in theology; moved from being dean of Cork to being bishop of Clogher in 2002; has association both with the Anglican Oriental orthodox International Commission and Chairs the Management Group of NIFCON.
The Revd John Kaoma Kafwanka is currently Mission and Evangelism Desk Officer for the Anglican Communion, seconded from CMS. He was formerly their Regional Co-ordinator in Lusaka, Zambia and has also served as Principal and Rector for the National Seminary in Zambia.
The Revd Canon Dr Graham Kings studied in Oxford, Cambridge and Utrecht, was founding Director of the Henry Martyn Centre for the study of Mission and World Christianity, Cambridge, and Vice Principal of St Andrew's College Kabare, Kenya. He has been vicar of St Mary's Church, Islington, London, since 2000 and has written books about the theology of mission, and Kenyan liturgy. He also writes poetry and is theological secretary of Fulcrum.
Revd Dr. John Joshva Raja - Tutor Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies Queens Foundation Birmingham, formerly Associate Professor and Chairperson Department of Communication United Theological College Banagalore.
The Revd Professor David Thomas Reader in Christianity and Islam, University of Birmingham, England, where he specialises in the history and theology of Christian-Muslim relations. He is an Anglican priest who has lived and worked in the Sudan.
The Rt Revd Pierre W. Whalon has been Bishop in charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe since 2001. Prior to that he served as a parish priest in the Dioceses of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Central Florida, in the Episcopal Church USA. He is also a member of that church's Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations. A citizen of both France and the United States, Bishop Whalon is also Vice-President of the Francophone Network of the Anglican Communion.
The Revd Canon Andrew Wingate former faculty member of the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, and a prison chaplain in Madurai, South India, he maintains close links with India and Sri Lanka. He is currently Adviser in Inter Faith relations in Leicester, the most multi religious city in Britain, and Director of St Phillip’s Centre for Study and Engagement in a multi faith society.
The Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics from 1999. He has also, since 1995, been a member of the Chapter of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and has served as its Chancellor since 2002. Kenneth is a member of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, Co-ordinator of Auxilliary Ministry (NSM) Training in the church, and a member of the Irish Council for Bioethics. As Secretary General of the Anglican Communion he is an ex officio member of the Management Group.
Mrs Clare Amos, Co-ordinator of NIFCON has lived and worked in the Lebanon and Jerusalem. She has taught biblical studies in Jerusalem, Beirut, Cambridge and South London. Her particular interest is in the relationship between biblical studies and inter faith issues. She has written a commentary on the Book of Genesis and a number of Bible Study and Lent Study books.
Ms Susanne Mitchell, Administrator studied Hinduism, Buddhism and philosophy of religion as part of her theology degree and has been a Licensed Reader in a multi-cultural parish in South West London for over fifteen years.
Dr Lucinda Mosher holds a Doctor of Theology degree from The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. As a Christian ethicist, she focuses on inter-religious concerns—particularly Christian-Muslim and Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations. She lectures and consults extensively in the USA and abroad on such matters.
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