[4] The Secretary General heads the Anglican Communion's secretariat, based at St Andrew’s House in London, UK.

The role involves overseeing the administrative aspects of the Communion's operations, including:[5] The position of Secretary General was established following the creation of the Anglican Consultative Council at the Lambeth Conference in 1968.

Before this, the role was known as the "Executive Officer of the Anglican Communion.

"[6] The first Secretary General was Ralph Dean, who served from 1969 to 1971.

[7] The Secretary General is appointed by the Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council, which acts on behalf of the entire Communion's leadership.