The Revd Canon Philip Mountstephen, executive leader of the Anglican mission agency CMS, reflects on the Primates’ commitment to “proclaim the person and work of Jesus Christ."

The gathering of leaders from the Anglican Church around the world has now concluded. As CMS, we are encouraged that the archbishops made a renewed public commitment to the unity of the Anglican Communion and have pledged to walk together, in the love and grace of Christ.

It is encouraging too, that while the media focus may be elsewhere, the archbishops made a striking and passionate call to evangelism, and I would like to ask all the CMS community to pray for the outworking of that pledge:

"We commit ourselves through evangelism to proclaim the person and work of Jesus Christ, unceasingly and authentically, inviting all to embrace the beauty and joy of the Gospel."

You can read the full text of that statement here.

The Communion is in the end made up of ordinary human beings, strong and prosperous, fragile and failing, bound together in love – and doing tremendous good in the world. The good fruit of these interwoven relationships must not be understated. We see the evidence of this every day in our work with CMS.

We are encouraged that this good fruit may continue to grow as the leaders of our Communion have restated their intention to walk together in unity and to pursue the path of reconciliation.

The Church Mission Society is rooted in the Church of England, and established much of what is today the Anglican Communion around the world. Our relationships with our brothers and sisters globally, as well as here in Britain, are firmly grounded in the mission of God, rather than an institution.

We remain committed to carrying out the mission Jesus gave to his church: “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.” And we are resolute in our purpose to share Jesus and see lives transformed in partnership with, and relying on, the strong and dearly valued relationships we hold with our brothers and sisters in South Sudan and Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Indeed, CMS played a key role in planting many of these churches.

We now commit to our part in seeking peace and reconciliation, with justice and integrity, among the Christian family and in the wider world. We trust that as we follow Jesus into mission, we will be conformed more and more to his likeness, and relationships will be healed and once again flourish, with Christ’s love at their centre.