What Are the Pillars of the Anglican Communion?

Updated

The Anglican Communion website presents its "pillars" as the core dimensions of the Communion's shared identity and common life—the areas that define what holds this global family of churches together and what it does collectively. The site frames them as an organising framework rather than a single programme, and points readers to the relevant section of anglicancommunion.org where each pillar is set out in detail.

How the pillars function as a framework

The Communion describes itself as a global family of churches spanning 42 provinces in more than 165 countries. A family of that scale needs a shared reference point, and the pillars serve that purpose on the site: they group the Communion's life into a small number of core dimensions, so that news, resources and the work of the Communion Office can be read against them.

Two things follow from this presentation:

  • Identity and work are linked. The pillars are not just a statement of belief or just a list of activities; the site treats them as the framework in which the Communion's identity and its common work belong together.
  • They are a navigational structure. Because the site organises its news and resources around these dimensions, the pillars double as a way for readers to find material by area of the Communion's life rather than by date or region.

Where to find the detail

The pillars are detailed in a dedicated section of anglicancommunion.org, alongside the site's news and resources. To use the site well:

  1. Open anglicancommunion.org.
  2. Go to the section covering the Communion's pillars.
  3. Read the pillar descriptions there for the authoritative wording—the site's own text is the reference point, and the exact list and phrasing should be taken from that page rather than from summaries elsewhere.

A practical note on scope

The site's own description emphasises news, resources, pillars and the work of the Communion Office. If your question is about a specific province, congregation or local activity, the pillars section is the framing layer; the provincial and news pages are where particular cases appear. Read the pillars first if you want the general framework, then follow the links into the specific material.

No pricing or access restrictions are indicated in the available site information, so nothing here should be read as confirming that any part of the site is free of login requirements—check the site directly if access matters for your use.