Bishop Anthony Ball appointed director of the Anglican Centre in Rome

[Anglican Communion Office] The Board of Governors of the Anglican Centre in Rome on Nov. 11 announced the appointment of the Rt. Rev. Anthony Ball as its next executive director. Ball will take over when Archbishop Ian Ernest steps down at the end of January 2025.

The Anglican Centre in Rome is the permanent Anglican Communion presence in Rome. It embodies the Anglican Communion’s commitment to the full visible unity of the church, with a focus on building trusted relationships with the Roman Catholic Church and advancing shared ecumenical priorities. The director leads the centre and is the archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Holy See, playing a key role in the interface between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. The director plays a major role as a public face of Anglican ecumenical commitment, liaising with the archbishop of Canterbury and the Unity, Faith and Order team at the Anglican Communion Office.

“Throughout his ministry to date, Bishop Anthony Ball has served God’s church in several contexts. This has imbued him with a deep commitment to the unity of the church and the value of ecumenism,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said. “I know that he will play a vital role in growing the Anglican Communion’s relationship with the Holy See, as together we celebrate our warm friendship and collaboration in mission.”

There will be a transition period of a few months, as Ball takes up his responsibilities in Rome and concludes those of his current roles. He serves as canon steward and archdeacon of Westminster, and as bishop of the Diocese of North Africa in the Province of Alexandria, having previously been an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Egypt.

“The Anglican Centre in Rome is a unique institution in the Anglican Communion, given to embodying the spirit and commitments of ecumenism. It is hard to think of the fruitfulness of Anglican-Catholic dialogue in the last almost 60 years without thinking of the ACR as a place of personal encounter and friendship,” Bishop Anthony Poggo, secretary-general of the Anglican Communion and a board member, said. “In April 2024, it played an important role in hosting the Anglican Primates’ Meeting, which included a historic meeting with Pope Francis. I look forward to all that Bishop Anthony Ball will do as director and share our prayers and support. We also give thanks for the service and tremendous ministry of his immediate predecessor, Archbishop Ian Ernest.”

Ball was born and lived for many years in Southern Africa. After studying at the University of Durham, he joined the diplomatic service. He had overseas postings in the Middle East and Spain, during which time he was ordained as a priest. During a posting with the British Embassy in Damascus, he was the archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Heads of the Orthodox Churches in Syria and Lebanon. From there he moved to join Archbishop Rowan Williams’s staff at Lambeth Palace, where he variously held responsibility for advising on Anglican Communion, ecumenical, interreligious and international relations before serving as the archbishop’s chaplain.

Ball has held several roles in the charity and education sectors, including chair of Trustees of the Christian development charity Embrace the Middle East, the chair of Governors of Westminster City School, a trustee of the United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation, a trustee of the Christian-Muslim Forum, and co-Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews’ Central London Branch. He currently chairs the Jerusalem and the Middle East Church Association and serves on the U.K. Advisory Board of the Abraham Initiatives.

In his current role at Westminster Abbey, Ball has oversight of hospitality and welcome to visitors and pilgrims and responsibility for pastoral care, as well as being the lead clergy person for the Abbey’s inter-religious relationships. Previously, he held roles of canon rector, rector of St. Margaret’s Church, Almoner and sub-dean. Before coming to the Abbey he was rector of Worth, Pound Hill and Maidenbower in West Sussex, also holding the role of Anglican chaplain at Worth School.

“It is an extraordinary privilege to be offered this opportunity to serve the Anglican Communion, the archbishop of Canterbury and the cause of Christian unity. As a long-time supporter of the Anglican Centre in Rome, I am hugely excited at the prospect of contributing to its leadership and building on the work of Archbishop Ian Ernest and his predecessors,” Ball said. “I look forward to developing further the connections and collaboration with institutions, organizations and all those, within our Communion and beyond, committed to education, pilgrimage, encounter and deepening mutual understanding. Establishing friendships was core to the founding vision of the ACR and is as vital today as it was nearly 60 years ago — I relish the chance of sharing in this endeavor.”