| August 2022
Dear Members of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania,
I am just back from the Lambeth Conference, a once-per-decade gathering of the bishops- and many spouses- of the Anglican Communion. There were 640 bishops and almost 400 spouses who gathered for a two-week period of prayer, worship, study, discussion, and fellowship. We stayed in dorms at the University of Kent, just a mile and a half up a grassy hill from the village of Canterbury, home to Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of the Anglican Communion.
The Anglican Communion is a group of forty-two member churches in 165 different countries. It includes about 80 million members and is the third largest group of Christians after the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the titular head of the Anglican Communion, and he issued the invitation for us to attend the Conference. (For more info on the Anglican Communion, go to www.anglicancommunion.org)
During our time together, we focused on vital topics for the Church to address- the conference was titled “God’s Church for God’s World.” We reviewed draft papers (“Lambeth ‘Calls’”) on topics important for the life of the church and the spreading of the Good News: Mission and Evangelism, Discipleship, Safe Church, and Anglican Identity. We discussed the work of Reconciliation in our Christian tradition, our engagement with Interfaith partners, and the relationship of Science and Faith. We also prayed about how, as a Church, we are called to participate in the healing of our Environment and work for Sustainable Development. The Lambeth Call that received the most attention from the media was on the topic of Human Dignity. This Call has a lot to commend: working against unjust economic systems that disadvantage the world’s poorest communities, a call to focus on the most vulnerable in our societies (often women and girls), and an affirmation that regardless of one’s gender or sexual identity that all are beloved in the eyes of God and are full members of the Body of Christ. The Call also recommended the formation of a group to study the effects of slavery and colonialism, and the formation of a fund to aid young entrepreneurs to work against poverty and to increase social protection. Sadly, the good work of this Call was brought to a halt with the inclusion of a reference to a past Lambeth Resolution (1.10 from Lambeth 1998) in which it was affirmed that marriage in our Church is recognized as only between a man and a woman. This “traditional” teaching is held by about 75% of the churches in the Anglican Communion and was- and is- the cause of deep division among us. The Episcopal Church (along with the Anglican Church in Canada, the Anglican Church of Brazil, The Scottish Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Australia, and The Anglican church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia) affirms same gender marriage as well as marriage between men and women but puts us in the minority in the Anglican Communion.
The clash of opinion on the issue of marriage in the Church was, for me, both humbling and clarifying. I learned so much about the global situation of those in my small group (members in my group were from England, Australia, Congo, Kenya, South India, and Scotland) and I heard about the threat of persecution, violence, and danger that some of our Anglican brothers and sisters face in living out their faith. I also was strengthened in my own commitment to our LGBTQI siblings and their right to all the rites of the Church. And, I discovered that for me, the value of being a member of our historic Communion depends on our ability to hold differing opinions in tension while still praying, serving, and working together. The Archbishop of Canterbury addressed us on the topic of our core disagreement and received affirmation from the Body. His remarks are here: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/speaking-writing/speeches/lambeth-call-human-dignity-read-archbishop-justins-remarks
In addition to these long discussions on salient topics, we enjoyed worship in the stunning cathedral, music and prayer in many styles and languages, deep bible study on the letter of 1 Peter, three presidential addresses by the Archbishop, plenary sessions to explore the broad themes and seminars to share implementation of programs around the Church, concerts, hikes, and lots of wonderful meals and time spent together in fellowship.
There will not be another Lambeth Conference for a decade. As one of my brother bishops, David, the Bishop of Manchester (England) said, “The conference helped me realise that I hadn’t come to change the Communion, I’d come to change me.” As a result of this conference, I, like David, feel changed. My world view has been expanded, my appreciation for our small part in this historic Communion is enhanced, and my faith has been strengthened. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this good work. As a way to follow up, I will be asking our Council of Trustees to form a small group to study the Lambeth “Calls” when the final drafts are released and to see how our work here in Central Pennsylvania already intersects and might be developed within the wider Communion.
I pray that this summer has been a blessing for you all. I will be away on retreat this next week, then on a trip to California for a visit with family, and back in the office after Labor Day.
In the Way of Love, |
