Canon Anthony Ball appointed Assistant Bishop in Egypt

He will undertake this part-time role alongside his duties as a Canon of Westminster and will continue to be based at the Abbey. He will be consecrated Assistant Bishop in Cairo on Tuesday 30th November.

The new province of Alexandria, named after the north Egyptian city which was home to one of the earliest branches of the Christian Church, serves ten countries: Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Mauritania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.

'Hugely excited'

Canon Ball said:

'I am hugely excited, as well as rather daunted, by the prospect of supporting Archbishop Samy in consolidating and building up the church within the Province of Alexandria. Egypt in particular has played a significant role in my faith journey and I greatly look forward to developing existing and new relationships as I serve across the Province.

With each of the ten countries covered by the Province offering distinct opportunities and challenges for Christian witness, exploring ways to serve their needs locally and to connect those with my ministry at Westminster Abbey, and the life of the church in England more widely, will be transformative.’

'Important role in building confidence'

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, said:

'This significant and exciting appointment is a measure of the great affection and respect for Canon Ball, who has a long and distinguished association with the churches of the Middle East. He will have an important role in building confidence and encouraging mission in a newly created province. He will bring back to the Abbey a renewed and lively sense of the work of the worldwide church.

It should be noted that Canons of Westminster have routinely given significant amounts of their time to other commitments in the service of the wider church. Canon Ball now steps back from a number of other external commitments in order to make space in a busy diary. The Province of Alexandria is making a significant contribution to the Abbey and none of the costs associated with this new responsibility will be borne here. I am delighted for him and for the Abbey.'

'A new beginning'

The Most Reverend Dr Samy Fawzy, Archbishop of the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria and Bishop of the Diocese of Egypt said:

‘The Archbishop of Canterbury celebrated the inauguration of the new Province of Alexandria on the 8th October 2021. It is a new beginning for our ministry as Anglican Church in North Africa and the Horn of Africa and creates a need to appoint leaders to assist in its development and growth.

Canon Anthony has supported the ministry for many years and has a long experience in the Middle East. We are grateful to Westminster Abbey for allowing this partnership in the Gospel and supporting us at this pivotal time in the life of the Province.’

About Canon Ball

After studying at the University of Durham Canon Ball joined the Diplomatic Service and had overseas postings in the Middle East and Spain during which time he was ordained as a priest.

His last posting was in Damascus where, in addition to his work in the British Embassy and as the Anglican Chaplain, 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' staff at Lambeth Palace, where he variously held responsibility for advising on Anglican Communion, Ecumenical, Inter Religious and International relations and served as the Archbishop's Chaplain.

As a Canon of Westminster, he has held responsibilities as Canon Steward and Almoner and is currently Rector of St Margaret’s Church.