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Transformational Commitments

The five Transformational Commitments (affirmed by the General Synod in 2023) express the Anglican Church of Canada’s shared hopes for faithful mission in a changing world. They name key areas of life and ministry that communities across the church have identified as essential for this time.

The commitments emerged from the national strategic planning process (2020–2022), which brought Anglicans together online to listen, reflect and share their hopes for the future.

The five transformational commitments

  • Champions the dignity of every human being and works to dismantle racism and colonialism
  • Stewards and renews God’s creation, protects and sustains the earth and pursues justice for all
  • Nurtures right relationships among people of faith in local, national and global communities and networks
  • Embraces mutual interdependence with the Indigenous church, Sacred Circle
  • Invites and deepens life in Christ

The companion website, A Changing Church, offers resources to explore the commitments more deeply, including background materials, a downloadable video and the Bible study Reflections on the Journey. Each commitment also has a dedicated page with further context and questions for reflection.

Suggested uses

  • Introducing the commitments in parish, diocesan or synod settings
  • Supporting adult education or small-group study
  • Providing context for leadership formation or planning conversations
  • Helping communities reflect on local mission in light of the commitments

Key themes

  • Shared discernment in a changing world
  • Vision, hope and renewal in Christ
  • Justice, reconciliation and right relationship
  • Mutual interdependence with Sacred Circle
  • Ongoing reflection and engagement across the church

Best suited for: parish leaders, diocesan staff, clergy, synod delegates, adult learning groups, theological students and others seeking to understand and engage with the Anglican Church of Canada’s transformational commitments.

The illustrative depiction ("mandala design") of the transformational commitments

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.