The Lambeth Conference

As most of you are aware, something called the “Lambeth Conference” is being held this year. This is a conference of invited Bishops that happens every 10 years. It is a place for Bishops all over the wold to meet and discuss different issues that affect everyone in the Anglican Communion.

Originally they met at Lambeth Palace (from 1867-1968), which was the London residence of the Archbishop of Cantebury, but moved in 1978 to Canterbury. It was set up at the request of the Anglican Church of Canada, and was hosted by Archbishop Charles Thomas Longley, then Archbishop of Canterbury.

The conferences normally issue an encyclical letter, a series of resolutions (that is church speak for “memos”, or guidelines, or perhaps, directives), and reports that were prepared by the many comities. In the last conference in 1998 a resolution was passed that rejected Homosexual practices, same-gender unions (Gay Marriage), and the ordination of persons involved in such unions. Another resolution was one that tried to narrow the gap between Bishops choosing to ordain Women, and those against such ordinations. This resolution declared that no bishop should be compelled to ordain women.

It must be noted that these resolutions, despite their weight (coming from a collection of Bishops and Archbishops) have no binding power over Anglican. For them to contain power, they must be adopted by synodical or other constitutional means to make them legally binding.

So why hold them? If they are nothing more than a talking-shop, what do we gain? England is essentially the Mother Church of Anglicanism, but is defiantly behind the times. It finally decided to consecrate female Bishops in 2008, where they had been consecrating Bishops in other places since 1998 (Bishop Barbera C. Harris was elected suffragen Bishop of Massachusetts, but did not head a diocese, in 1990 Bishop Penelope Jamieson became the first Diocesan Bishop in New Zeland). Admitedly, The Church in Wales is even further behind the times, and failed to vote for female Bishops. Perhaps next time. These conferences are a chance for Bishops to see how it’s all working. Perhaps allay fears, and to discuss matters pertaining to these new developments. As there’s no real Anglican structure, this is really the only “Global Leadership” that there is. Even if the resolutions are not enforceable, at least there’s an “official stance” on things.

From here, it’s easy to see how we ended up in the position that we are currently in, with GAFCON demanding a hard line against Same-Sex Marriage, and definitely no Gay Bishops.

It has to be said, however, that this line doesn’t seem to be inline with public thought, or indeed public want or need. As a Church, Anglicans should be out there with the people, and excluding a whole raft of them just doesn’t seem very….. well.. Christian.

It has to be said that it is a good thing the resolutions are not binding.

Black Xanthus

(Source: Britannica Online