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Fifteenth Lambeth Conference

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Coordinates: 51°17′56.43″N 1°3′34.02″E / 51.2990083°N 1.0594500°E / 51.2990083; 1.0594500
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15th Lambeth Conference
Date27 July – 7 August 2022 (2022-07-27 – 2022-08-07)[1]
VenueCanterbury campus of the University of Kent
LocationCanterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates51°17′56.43″N 1°3′34.02″E / 51.2990083°N 1.0594500°E / 51.2990083; 1.0594500
TypeLambeth Conference
Theme"God's Church for God's world"[2]
Organised byAnglican Communion,
Justin Welby (convenor)
Participants~660 Anglican bishops[3]
Websitelambethconference.org

The fifteenth Lambeth Conference was an assembly of bishops of the Anglican Communion convened by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, between 27 July and 7 August 2022. It was the first Lambeth Conference to be held since 2008.

Background

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Timing and delays

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The decennial schedule followed since 1948 would have suggested a Lambeth Conference in 2018. In September 2014, Katharine Jefferts Schori, primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States, advised that she had been told by Archbishop Justin Welby that this conference had been cancelled, and that he would not call one until he was "reasonably certain that the vast majority of bishops would attend. It needs to be preceded by a primates meeting at which a vast majority of primates are present" (Schori's words).[4] Welby later responded to reports of cancellation by stating, "As it hasn't been called, it can’t have been cancelled", explaining that he had previously told primates he would not call the Lambeth Conference until he had visited each of them in their own countries, which when added to practical considerations relating to venues precluded a conference as soon as 2018.[5]

The communiqué issued after the primates' meeting in Canterbury in January 2016 said the primates had accepted Welby's proposal that the conference be held in 2020.[6][7] At the same meeting, the US Episcopal Church was suspended from Anglican Communion decision-making on "issues pertaining to doctrine or polity" for three years because of its support for same-sex marriage, a suspension which would end by the time of the conference.

In 2017 an international organising group chaired by the archbishop of Cape Town set a date (the last week in July 2020) and announced a theme ("God’s Church for God’s world") for the conference.[2] Due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced in March 2020 that the conference would be rescheduled to summer 2021.[8] In July 2020 it was further announced that due to continued uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the conference would be further delayed to 2022.[9]

Prior tension over homosexuality

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The 1998 and 2008 conferences were marked by disagreements within the Anglican Communion over homosexuality. The 1998 conference adopted Resolution 1.10, which called for a "listening process" but stated, in an amendment passed by a vote of 389–190,[10] that "homosexual practice" (not necessarily orientation) is "incompatible with Scripture".[11]

The 2008 conference avoided reopening this resolution, which nevertheless remained central to controversy within the communion. Several African provinces, along with other bishops opposed to greater tolerance of homosexuality and the blessing of same-sex unions, boycotted the conference.[12][13] The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches emerged as alternative fora for conservative bishops, with GAFCON meeting for the first time in 2008 and several times over the following years.

By the time of the 2022 conference a faultline was evident between provinces of the communion in the Global North and Global South. Many northern provinces are characterised by declining church attendance, a large number of dioceses (and therefore bishops eligible to attend the conference) relative to the size of their congregations, and a greater openness to homosexuality, including the blessing of same-sex unions, recognition of same-sex marriages, and appointment of openly gay bishops in the most liberal provinces. Many southern provinces are characterised by numerical stability or growth, large dioceses with a correspondingly small number of bishops eligible to attend, and a traditional line on sexuality, holding sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage to be sinful.

Attendance

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The Anglican Communion has not released a list of bishops attending the conference, but media sources estimated attendance at around 660 bishops, 45 ecumenical guests, and 83 bishops' spouses, who participated in a parallel schedule of events.[3] Half of the participants were helped to attend by donations, and many reported difficulty obtaining UK visas.[3]

Bishops in same-sex relationships were invited for the first time, a contrast to the exclusion of Gene Robinson, the first Anglican bishop in an acknowledged same-sex relationship, from the previous conference in 2008.[14][15] At the time of the invitations, there were Anglican bishops in a same-sex marriage or partnership in at least Canada, England, and the United States.[16] Unlike those in heterosexual marriages, same-sex spouses of bishops were not invited, in an effort to compromise with bishops from more traditionalist or conservative provinces. The organisers explained that this was, in part, because the majority of Anglican provinces only recognise marriages between a man and a woman and do not recognise same-sex unions.[17] In response, the US Episcopal Church and bishops from Canada and the UK publicly disagreed with the decision.[18] In the event, some same-sex spouses were present at or around the conference anyway, though excluded from formal spousal events,[19] and staying in separate accommodation with badges bearing the description "Conference Observer".[20]

The conference was again boycotted by bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda, with their primates complaining that the Anglican Communion had "failed to address with remorse and repentance the issues that necessitated our absence" in 2008.[3]

Lambeth Calls

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Policy documents proposed for adoption by the conference were ten "Lambeth Calls", a neologism replacing previous written outputs such as the Resolutions of earlier conferences. These had the following titles:[21]

  • Mission and Evangelism
  • Safe Church — safeguarding and abuse
  • Anglican Identity
  • Reconciliation — including the legacy of colonialism and wealth acquired through the slave trade
  • Human Dignity — including sexuality
  • Environment and Sustainable Development
  • Christian Unity — ecumenism
  • Inter-faith Relations
  • Discipleship
  • Science and Faith

The Lambeth Calls took the form of declarations the Anglican Communion could then pray, think and reflect on, such that each province could decide on its own response.[22]

The calls were written over several months[23] by working groups in advance of the conference, released within two weeks of its opening,[3] and debated during closed sessions dedicated for each.[21]

Abandonment of voting

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Initially, electronic voting on adoption of the calls was planned, with bishops given the option either to affirm each call or state that it "requires further discernment". After it emerged that the Human Dignity draft reaffirmed 1998's Resolution 1.10, a third option was added for bishops to indicate that a call "does not speak for me".[24][25] This, however, led to further disquiet within the liberal faction about the possibility that those opposing reaffirmation of Resolution 1.10 could find their votes split between the latter two options. On 31 July, the day allocated for discussion of the second of ten calls, electronic voting was scrapped in favour of a system of voice votes, with no formal recording of numbers in favour of or opposed to each call.[25][26]

Programme

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Bishops began the main programme with a day and half in retreat at Canterbury Cathedral, returning to their main venue, the campus of the University of Kent in Canterbury, on the evening of Friday 29 July for an address by the archbishop of Canterbury. Most of the following days began with morning prayer and Eucharist, followed by press briefings, Bible exposition sessions, and then discussions about each of the Lambeth Calls. A Sunday service was held at Canterbury Cathedral on 31 July, and Wednesday 3 August was an away day at Lambeth Palace in London, with a focus on the Environment and Sustainable Development call. The conference concluded on Sunday 7 August.[1]

Disagreements over homosexuality

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The 2022 conference once again included significant controversy about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The communion's attitude to homosexuality remains the primary locus of disagreement between the bishops.

Conservative bishops led by Justin Badi Arama, archbishop of South Sudan, amongst others, refused to take communion alongside those they viewed as having departed from biblical teaching on homosexuality.[19][27][28]

The Human Dignity Lambeth Call bore similarities to Resolution 1.10 from the 1998 conference, which declared gay sex to be a sin.[22][29] On 2 August 2022, archbishop Welby "affirmed the validity" of Resolution 1.10, saying that it was "not in doubt".[29] Welby's remarks sought to describe the status quo within the Anglican Communion, namely one of division, without attempting a resolution:

[T]here is no attempt to change people’s minds in this Call. It states as a fact that the vast majority of Anglicans in the large majority of Provinces and Dioceses do not believe that a change in teaching is right. Therefore, it is the case that the whole of Lambeth 1.10 1998 still exists. This Call does not in any way question the validity of that resolution. The Call states that many Provinces – and I say again, I think we need to acknowledge it’s the majority – continue to affirm that same-gender marriage is not permissible. The Call also states that other provinces have blessed and welcomed same sex union or marriage, after careful theological reflection and a process of reception. In that way, it states the reality of life in the Communion today.[30]

This prompted criticism from several LGBTQ+ equality activists including Jayne Ozanne and Sandi Toksvig,[29][31][32] and the signing by 175 bishops and primates of a pro-LGBTQ statement affirming the holiness of the love of all committed same-sex couples.[33]

The Anglican Communion Office said the session discussing the Human Dignity Lambeth Call had not been about "finding an answer to whether the Anglican Communion is [inclined] one way or another".[34]

The conservative faction of bishops made various attempts to bring reaffirmation of Resolution 1.10 to a vote.[27][35][19][36]

In response to the discourse surrounding sexuality at the Conference, the University of Kent LGBT+ Staff Network organised an 'inclusion march' called the Lambeth Walk, which was attended by over 150 people including LGBT+ bishops and their spouses, followed by the Rainbows in Religion symposium which included guest speakers Jayne Ozanne and Dr Angus M Slater.[37]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Programme overview and timetable". Lambeth Conference. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b Wyatt, Tim (17 March 2017). "Date set for Lambeth Conference". Church Times. Retrieved 15 January 2019. Anglican Communion News Service, "Lambeth Design Group puts down foundations for Lambeth 2020" (March 10, 2017). See Stephen Spencer ed., God's Church to God's World (SCM, 2022) and Robert S. Heaney, John Kafwanka K and Hilda Kabia eds., (Foreword by Justin Welby), God's Church to God's World (Church Publishing, 2020).
  3. ^ a b c d e Pat Ashworth (28 July 2022). "Lambeth Conference is here at last". Church Times. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  4. ^ Conger, George (30 September 2014). "Lambeth Conference cancelled". Anglican Ink. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  5. ^ Butter, Jan (6 October 2014). "Abp Welby: 'Next Lambeth Conference a decision for the primates'". Anglican Communion News Service. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  6. ^ Zink, Jesse (22 January 2016). "If it doesn't work, do something new". Church Times. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Communiqué from the Primates of the Anglican Communion". Anglican Communion Office. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  8. ^ "The Lambeth Conference reschedules to the summer of 2021". Lambeth Conference. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  9. ^ "The Lambeth Conference reschedules to 2022". Lambeth Conference. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Lambeth Conference 1998 Archives". Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  11. ^ "Lambeth Conference 1998: Resolution 1.10 Human Sexuality". Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  12. ^ "GAFCON Response to Evangelical English Bishops" (Press release). Church of Nigeria. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  13. ^ Davies, Matthew (15 February 2008). "Five primates announce Lambeth Conference boycott". Episcopal Life Online. Episcopal News Service. Archived from the original on 14 December 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  14. ^ Hellen, Nicholas (16 February 2019). "Married gay bishops told: don't bring your spouse to Anglican conference". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  15. ^ Becket, Adam. "Same-sex spouses not invited to Lambeth 2020". Church Times. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  16. ^ Duffy, Nick (17 February 2019). "Anglicans bar same-sex spouses from Lambeth Conference". PinkNews. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  17. ^ Greenhalgh, Hugo (18 February 2019). "Anglican Church slammed for excluding same-sex spouses from 2020 conference". Reuters. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Episcopal bishops object to same-sex spouses' disinvitation to global conference". Religion News Service. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  19. ^ a b c Paulsen, David (29 July 2022). "Conservative bishops refuse to take Communion with LGBTQ+ bishops, demand 'sanctions' for churches that allow for same-sex marriage". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  20. ^ Millard, Egan (30 July 2022). "Q&A: Bishop Mary Glasspool and spouse Becki Sander share what it's like as a same-sex couple at Lambeth". Episcopal News Service. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Lambeth Calls document". Lambeth Conference. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  22. ^ a b Pat Ashworth (22 July 2022). "Draft Lambeth Conference 'call' threatens to reignite 1998 row over homosexuality". Church Times. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Preparing for the Lambeth Conference: A Lambeth Calls Study Document". Lambeth Conference. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  24. ^ Sherwood, Harriet (26 July 2022). "Justin Welby forced to allow Anglican bishops to reject statement on sexuality". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  25. ^ a b "Lambeth 2022: Lambeth Conference organisers dump electronic voting". Church Times. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  26. ^ Conger, George (31 July 2022). "Electronic voting to be replaced by voice votes for the remainder of Lambeth 2022". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  27. ^ a b Ashworth, Pat (30 July 2022). "Lambeth 2022: Interview with Archbishop Badi: 'We cannot break bread with bishops who betray the Bible'". Church Times. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  28. ^ Conger, George. "Eucharist fellowship broken at Lambeth 2022". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  29. ^ a b c Harriet Sherwood (2 August 2022). "Justin Welby 'affirms validity' of 1998 gay sex is sin declaration". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  30. ^ Welby, Justin. "Lambeth Call on Human Dignity: Read Archbishop Justin's remarks". Archbishop of Canterbury. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  31. ^ Geneva Abdul (4 August 2022). "Sandi Toksvig says 'lives at stake' after anti-gay Anglican church declaration". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  32. ^ Lily Wakefield (2 August 2022). "Powerful Anglican bishops call on 'homosexual practices' to be rejected because gay sex is a sin". PinkNews. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  33. ^ "OTN Patron signs statement from Anglican bishops to affirm and celebrate LGBT+ people".
  34. ^ Ashworth, Pat (2 August 2022). "Lambeth 2022: Fire goes out of sexuality argument". Church Times. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  35. ^ Booth, Robert (25 July 2022). "Motion to oppose same-sex marriage forces rethink of Anglican summit". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  36. ^ Conger, George. "Vote to reaffirm Lambeth 1.10 back on track — GSFA bishops to bring a resolution to the Lambeth Conference on Monday". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  37. ^ https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/staff-student-news/2022/07/29/students-and-staff-come-together-for-the-lambeth-walk/# [bare URL]
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