The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has this week announced the members of the 'Covenant Design Group' that he has appointed in response to a request of the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates' Meeting and of the Anglican Consultative Council.

Chairing the group will be the Primate of the West Indies, Archbishop Drexel Gomez. Also included in the group are experts in the fields of: canon law, the nature and mission of the church, and ecumenical relations from around the Communion.

In addition to a small core group, the Archbishop will also appoint a wider circle of corresponding members, who will assist the group's work.

The group will hold its first meeting in the Bahamas, in mid-January 2007, and present an interim report to the Primates Meeting and Joint Standing Committee when they meet in February in Tanzania.

The members are as follows:

The Most Rev Drexel Gomez, West Indies
The Rev Victor Atta-Baffoe, West Africa
The Most Rev Dr John Chew, South East Asia
Ms Sriyanganie Fernando, Ceylon
The Rev Dr Kathy Grieb, USA
The Rt Rev Santosh Marray, Indian Ocean
The Most Rev John Neill, Ireland
The Rev Canon Andrew Norman, Archbishop of Canterbury's Representative
Chancellor Rubie Nottage, West Indies, Consultant
The Rev Dr Ephraim Radner, USA
Ms Nomfundo Walaza, Southern Africa
The Rev Canon Gregory Cameron, Anglican Communion Office, Secretary