August 2008
LAMBETH PASTORAL
Dear Friends in Christ,
The Lambeth Conference of 2008 is now history. It was a deep privilege for Alida and I to be present and I thank God and all of you for making it possible. The three weeks of retreat, conference, worship, conversation and study were enriching, challenging and at times frustrating. I must say that when I saw the schedule I was not entirely looking forward to the experience. The days began at 6:30 am and often went late into the evening. I expected to return home exhausted, but I have returned home encouraged, spiritually strengthened and with a deeper understanding of our Anglican Communion. In this brief pastoral letter, I want to share some of the experience with you.
The Conference was preceded by a retreat led by Archbishop Rowan Williams in Canterbury Cathedral. His addresses were entitled, “God’s Mission and a Bishop’s Discipleship”. Drawing on his obvious deep spirituality and considerable intellect, Rowan drew us into reflections on the scriptures and on our lives in Christ. He did not avoid speaking of the tensions within the communion, but continually reminded us that our calling is to a life in Christ which precedes and supersedes all else.
The daily worship was a great gift. We gathered each day for a celebration of the Eucharist led by a different province in the communion. We worshipped and sang in a great variety of the world’s languages and heard preaching which drew on contexts radically different from our own, and yet the shape of the Eucharist and the administration of the sacrament provided a spiritual nourishment that grounded us and became the foundation for all else. I found the daily worship with the same community of people to be particularly sustaining.
Each day we gathered for Bible study in small groups. My group included Spanish speakers from Mexico, Cuba, Spain, and Brazil. I was delighted to find that Bishop Marcelino Rivera-Delgado of Northern Mexico was part of the group. It gave us an opportunity to get to know each other much better and to speak about the companion relationship between our two dioceses. Those of us who only spoke English found ourselves communicating with the assistance of a translator, and it was good to have the experience of not being part of the dominant language group. The studies focused on the great “I am” statements in the Gospel of St. John, and I came away with both a greater appreciation for the gospel and new insights that arose from very different contexts around the world. It was here that we developed the strongest relationships and degree of trust for frank conversation. Despite significant differences of opinion, our common calling as disciples of Christ was strengthened and affirmed.
Six Bible study groups were gathered together in the Indaba groups. These groups of about 40 people met to discuss the daily themes. It was here that the greatest opportunity came for engaging with other bishops on matters of common concern. Some of the daily themes included: local mission, evangelism, ecumenism, interfaith encounters, and of course, the big conversations around human sexuality and the proposed Anglican Covenant. These were not meant to be a forum for debate, but a place where all voices could be heard. There was some frustration at the process, especially by some who wanted to make a decision, or have a more definitive resolution of the issues. However, those who had attended previous Lambeth conferences said that this process was far less divisive, and provided a much broader range of voices than a large forum with only a few microphones available. I was particularly aware of cultural differences and how this process allowed some who would not normally have spoken to do so. The discussions of the Indaba groups have been summarized in a large document entitled “Lambeth Indaba Reflections 2008” which is available on the Lambeth Conference website.
In addition to the Indaba groups there were large plenary gatherings called “Hearings”. In these large meetings, bishops were given an opportunity to speak to specific topics such as the work of the Windsor Continuing Group. The contributions were limited to a few because of the size of the gathering and it was dominated by western bishops. Rather than a good example of dialogue, it was mostly a presentation of a range of opinions and position statements.
It is clear that the communion is still divided on the major issues, but what emerged from the discussions is a strong commitment to the Anglican Communion and a will to work toward keeping the communion together among the vast majority of bishops who were present. There was a commitment to a continuing moratoria for the ordination of gay or lesbian clergy as bishops; on the blessing of same sex unions; and on cross border incursions. This proved the most challenging part of our conversations and revealed the precarious state of the communion. For those dioceses who have made decisions to ordain partnered gay or lesbian people, or to authorize the blessing of same sex unions, it will be very difficult to go back in time. As some said, “the horse is already out of the barn” and they were not prepared to sacrifice the integrity of gay and lesbian people for the communion. At the same time, it was made clear how much those decisions have deeply affected the mission of other parts of the church particularly our ecumenical and interfaith relationships. There was affirmation to continue to develop a covenant relationship for member provinces and the Archbishop has indicated his intent to appoint a Pastoral Forum within a few months. This Pastoral Forum will receive and respond to disputes within the communion. The next important development will be the presentation of a revised covenant to the April meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council. A significant unknown element at this point will be the response from those bishops who chose not to attend. At the conclusion of the conference I was left feeling cautiously optimistic. The commitment to the communion was strong, although the challenges cannot be overstated.
Finally, I want to say that the Lambeth conference was a gathering in faith. Across many cultures and many strongly held viewpoints and great disparity in education and resources, the conference was a coming together in Christ – in worship, in the study of scriptures, in the sharing of ministries, and in concern for the life of the church. Despite many stories in the secular press, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s leadership was outstanding as he gathered us together and urged us to meet as a community of disciples of Jesus called to follow the Way which is also the Truth and the Life. It is in faithfulness to that Way, that the way forward will be made known. I am grateful for your prayers for the Lambeth conference and ask for your continued prayers for the communion and for our diocese as we seek to be faithful in our respective places of ministry.
Faithfully,
+ John
For a taste of Lambeth you may wish to see/read the inspiring address by Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom at this link: Chief Rabbi or read the final sermon by Archbishop Rowan Williams here: Closing Eucharist