Former Kajo-Keji Bishop named as next Secretary-General of Anglican Communion

JUBA – A South Sudanese former Bishop of Kajo-Keji in the Episcopal Church, Right Revd. Anthony Poggo, has been elected as the next Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Anthony was on Monday selected for his new role by a sub-committee of the Anglican Communion’s Standing Committee following a competitive recruitment process led by external consultants.

Bishop Anthony is expected to take up his new role in September, succeeding the Most Revd Dr. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, who will step down in next month’s Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops, slated from 26 July to 8 August in Canterbury.

“It is a huge privilege to be appointed as the next Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion, taking over from the Most Reverend Dr. Josiah Idowu-Fearon. His are big shoes to fill”, Bishop Anthony said.

“I have found it very important to spend time reading the Word of God, especially with my Scripture Union background, because the Word of God is an important aspect of our lives for our spiritual growth.”

“I would like to thank the Anglican Communion’s Standing Committee for the trust and confidence in appointing me to lead the staff team at the Anglican Communion Office as it undertakes its role in supporting the Instruments of Communion.”

Born in 1964, in South Sudan, Bishop Anthony and his siblings were taken by his father – an Anglican priest – and his mother into Uganda to flee the First Sudanese Civil War.

In 1973, at the age of nine, he returned with his family to South Sudan.

He was ordained a Deacon in 1995 and a Priest in 1996 and continued working for Scripture Union before joining Across, a Christian mission agency working in Sudan from Nairobi, leading the charity’s publishing arm.

In 2007 he was elected Bishop of Kajo-Keji, a position he held until 2016 when he moved to Lambeth Palace to support the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as his Adviser on Anglican Communion Affairs.