What does it mean to do mission in a world still shaped by colonialism, displacement, and injustice? That was the question at the heart of USPG's fifth International Consultation, held in Manila in February 2026—and the forty Anglican leaders who gathered from 31 countries did not shy away from it.

The theme—"Breaking the Chains of Injustice: Reimagining Missional Theologies Today"—set the tone. This was not a conference about maintaining the status quo. It was a gathering of leaders who believe that the Gospel has something to say about language, land, and legacy—the three threads that ran through every discussion.

Language matters because the words we use to talk about mission still carry colonial echoes. Land matters because communities across the Global South continue to be dispossessed of the earth that sustains them. Legacy matters because the Church itself has been complicit in systems of injustice that it must now honestly reckon with.

The communiqué that emerged uses the Filipino woven mat—the banig—as a powerful metaphor. The banig makes forgotten experiences visible, weaving together threads that have been separated. The leaders committed to developing theologies that intertwine proclamation and prophetic witness, that honour land as a gift, that liberate theological language, and that transform legacy through truth-telling.

Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally sent a message to the gathering. Revd Canon Dr Duncan Dormor, USPG's General Secretary, called it "historic." The event was hosted by the Episcopal Church in the Philippines and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente—a fitting location for a conversation about reimagining mission from the margins.

This is the Anglican Communion at its most vital: diverse, honest, and committed to the hard work of justice.