2008 Lambeth Conference goes to Canterbury

Rev Ndungane, the Archbishop of Cape Town has expressed his deep disappointment in the recent decision not to bring the 2008 Lambeth Conference to South Africa, which was envisioned by Primates in 2003, instead the Conference will take place in Canterbury, UK.

The announcement of the Conference venue was made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Rowan Williams last week after a meeting between the Lambeth Conference Design Group.

Ndungane said, "Obviously, we are deeply disappointed, as there has been great enthusiasm to offer the Anglican family a very warm, friendly and vibrant African hospitality. Everyone was excited here, from the president of the country to the ordinary person, and we had gone full steam in making this an African event, with some outstanding musicians willing to come to the party."

Funding has been the major obstacle against the South African Church holding the gathering. They had been previously asked to create a program to hold 5,000 Anglicans for the event, which would include clergy.

"At this stage of the game there are no guaranteed funds for that, and so we just said it would be impossible for us to host such a big undertaking. We would have ended up with huge bills to meet: I understand estimates for the Gathering could have been between US$10-12 million. We had said quite clearly up front that we needed to have contracts signed, and they should have been signed last weekend. No contracts signed, no meetings in Cape Town."

The South African Archbishop, however, did not allow the announcement to discourage him too much, and he expressed his upbeat views on the outcome of the Conference:

"The first Lambeth Conference was called because of a difference of opinion between the first Bishop of Cape Town and the first Bishop of Natal; so it would have been a coming home. We have tremendous hope that in the light of the tensions that are existing in the Communion, it might be the right thing that we go back to Canterbury to reaffirm our roots. This is God’s world, God's Church: when one door closes, another opens."

Dr Rowan Williams said last week, "New times require a new kind of Lambeth Conference, and I am grateful to Archbishop Ellison [Pogo, of Melanesia] and the Design Group for the innovative work they have done. I have great hopes that the Lambeth Conference 2008 will equip and empower the leadership of our Church for participation in the Mission of God in the world."

Earlier this week an Anglican Communion spokesperson reported that the plans for the conference were still in their early stages. More progress is hoped to be made after the Design Group meet in April 2005.