Britain’s Leading Anglicans Hold Vital Talks at Lambeth Palace

This week the Anglican Communion has been holding a series of vital consultations at Lambeth Palace, London, with the aim of reconciling the rift that has emerged over the issue of homosexuality in the Church.

|TOP|The situation in the worldwide Communion has become so tense that discord, dissension, and even talks of schism have become regularly related to media reports surrounding Anglicanism.

The series of consultations will look to head off any potential schism that may be forthcoming when the American General Convention takes place in June.

Senior bishops arrived at Lambeth Palace on Monday for the talks with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. Joining them were other leading representatives from Anglican mission agencies – Anglican Mainstream, and the Anglican Consultative Council. Initial reports say they discussed a range of scenarios and ways in which they could deal with the crisis, according to the Church of England newspaper.

It has been rumoured that Dr Williams, the spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican body, has sought advice on whether he has powers to ‘disinvite’ bishops from the Lambeth Conference in 2008, an event which will see all Anglican bishops across the world gathering together.

However, it was discussed also whether the resolutions that are expected to be agreed by the General Convention in June may prove satisfactory in holding the Communion together.

|QUOTE|The senior Anglican Archbishops from across the UK were all present, including the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Manchester, Norwich, and Winchester. They heard presentations from Tim Dakin of CMS, Michael Doe of USPG, Gregory Cameron and Kenneth Kearon of the Anglican Consultative Council and Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream.

This week, Sugden had reported that traditionalists as well as evangelicals throughout the world were expectant on the Archbishop of Canterbury following what had been previously laid down in the Windsor Report.

He said, “We’re very concerned that a fudge isn’t good enough. What we’re looking for is repentance and the rescinding of decisions of [the US] General Convention 2003. The fabric of the Communion is torn, not that it will be torn, it is torn.”

Showing how seriously Lambeth Palace was taking the issue, earlier in March of this year, the invitation letter to this week’s meeting had described the discussions as concerning the “next critical months” in the life of the Anglican Communion, according to The Times newspaper.

Chris Smith, the Chief of Staff at Lambeth Palace said in the letter, “This is too important a set of issues to allow events to overtake us.”

The issue of homosexuality in the Church has been the major topic of concern in the Anglican Communion since 2003 when the Episcopal Church in America (ECUSA) consecrated the first openly gay bishop in the Communion. The event ended up being something that sent shockwaves through the Communion as it had gone against one of the core Biblical teachings in the Church, argued traditionalists.

|AD|Already this month, Dr Williams has met with the Presiding Bishop of the ECUSA, Frank Griswold. Following the meeting, Bishop Griswold sent a stark warning to the Diocese of California that if it elected as its new bishop, one of the 3 gay candidates standing for the position, the damage to the worldwide Communion could be irreparable.

Bishop Griswold said, “The diocese needs to respect the sensibilities of the larger communion. It will note what is going on in the life of the church and make a careful and wise decision.”

The Presiding Bishop also hinted that if California did elect a homosexual bishop, that the American House of Bishops could withhold its consent.

Bishop Griswold said after his meeting with Dr Williams, “We both live under stresses and strains, and it is important not to have second-hand communication, to meet face-to-face. It enables me to hear his concerns and he can hear some from me,” according to the Church of England newspaper.

He added, however, that he remained unrepentant about his role in Bishop Gene Robinson’s election.

He said, “To have abstained would have been meaningless and, assent to his election having been given, it would have been very odd for me not to attend his consecration,” reported the Guardian newspaper.

A Lambeth Palace spokesman reported that this week’s meeting was “one of a series of consultations in relationship to the current situation in the Anglican Church.”