Bishop Ian writes of “universal determination to stay together”
Bishop Frank speaks of the suffering of churches around the world
Background information
The topics this week
Archbishop Rowan’s challenge to world leaders

“A universal determination to stay together” Top
Bishop Ian’s mid-conference reflections

So what’s been going on in Canterbury? I am prompted to offer a few reflections half-way through the Lambeth Conference because of the extraordinary stories I read or hear in the media, including the Church of England Newspaper and the BBC. They seem to think we are waging a civil war or that the conference is either torn apart by our disagreements, or avoiding them. What I have experienced is very different!

Archbishop Rowan's addresses during the retreat which opened the Conference were superb and widely appreciated, to judge from the prolonged round of applause he received afterwards as well as the comments of individual bishops. They displayed a deep love of Scripture, a breadth of wisdom about the role of bishops in the church, and his own passion for the unity of the Church and the Anglican Communion.

Then as we met in small Bible study groups and larger Indaba groups I have met a universal determination to stay together as a communion and a willingness to talk about the difficult issues, as we have tried to understand each other's different contexts.

We have also addressed the pressing issues of mission, of the growing gap in wealth between the rich and the poorer nations, and of the environment with a determination to explore how we can help each other on these matters. This week we will look in more detail at our differences over homosexuality, and contribute to the process of developing an Anglican Covenant.

Throughout the process I have found amongst my colleagues from across the world:
• a deep affection for each other, and a growing appreciation of our different contexts (as we have found in our diocesan link);
• a common concern for God's mission and an awareness of how much more we could do together;
• a willingness to face honestly the disagreements within the family which have caused us pain. Like all families we cannot expect to agree about everything all of the time especially when we work in such diverse places;
• a widespread appreciation of the value of the Communion, especially in the provinces in Africa, Asia and the Far East.

On a personal note Bishop Frank and I were sad that Bishop Eliud had to return home suddenly last Monday to attend a family funeral. He hopes to return, but communication with Kenya is never easy even at the best of times! Bishop Zac and Catherine who were also with us in the diocese before Lambeth are in good form, and we have just spent a very rewarding day together. All the other bishops we entertained also send their thanks and their greetings.

So, keep us in your prayers and don't believe everything you see in the media.

Bishop Ian

“The suffering of Christians elsewhere puts our problems in perspective” Top
Bishop Frank adds:

“It’s been an outstanding ten days so far. I have witnessed some remarkable meetings between people from around the world, often in difficult and dangerous places. For example a bishop for North India was telling us of how 500 houses of Christians in his diocese had been burned down in anti-Christian riots. Others are in situations of great deprivation and poverty, yet they have a quality of joy and faith that is enriching and encouraging. They put our situations into a wider perspective.

“Both Bishop Ian and myself went on the ‘Lambeth walk’ on Thursday when with the bishops and bishops’ spouses we walked down Whitehall to Lambeth Palace in support of the Millennium goals to reduce world poverty. We were joined by other faith leaders, and addressed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He was in stunning form in his commitment to the goals. It was very moving.”

Background information Top

The Lambeth Conference is primarily an opportunity for bishops from across the Anglican Communion to get to know each other, listen to God and each other, and to discuss a wide variety of topics.

Each day begins with small group Bible studies looking at the “I am” sayings from John’s Gospel. Later in the morning the bishops meet in 15 “Indaba” groups. Indaba is a Zulu word for a gathering for purposeful discussion. Each day the groups will look at a different topic, and they will pray together. A Listener will be in each group, and the reflections from them will be woven into a “Reflective Document” at the end of the Conference.

Later in the day there will be free time, a variety of self-selection sessions, and fringe events. A few plenary sessions focus on a single topic.

This makes it far different to a parliamentary debate leading to a vote, or a party political conference at which policy is determined. The Conference has no legal authority to legislate for the Anglican Communion.

The topics down for this week (28 July-3August) are as follows: Top

Monday 28 Engaging with a multi-faith world
Tuesday 29 Equal in God’s sight
Wednesday 30 Living under Scripture
Thursday 31 Listening to God and each other
Friday 1 Fostering our common life
Saturday 2 Fostering our common life
Sunday 3 The Bishop as leader of God’s mission.

The bishops disperse next Sunday and Monday.

Archbishop hands letter to Prime Minister Top

Last Thursday Archbishop Rowan Williams challenged world leaders on behalf of the Anglican Communion and other faith groups to keep their promises on aid and development. Failure to do so would lead to further starvation, disease and death in the world’s poorest countries, he said.

He handed a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown flanked by other faith leaders from the Roman Catholic Church, and representatives of the Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities. In the letter, Archbishop Rowan said among other things, “God’s message of reconciliation calls us to action. The goal of our faith is that all may have life and have it in its fullness.

“Even if delivered, the Millennium Development Goals risk being undermined: climate change is already hitting the poorest hardest, and so we urge leaders to commit to ambitious cuts in carbon emissions.”

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