Portsmouth to welcome Anglican bishops ahead of Lambeth

Worshippers from across south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will welcome Anglican bishops from across the globe next month as part of a hew hospitality initiative ahead of the Lambeth Conference.

Eleven bishops, three from the US and eight from Ghana, and their spouses will spend five nights in the Portsmouth Diocese from 11 to 16 July before heading to Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference.

The visits are part of the national Lambeth hospitality initiative that allows bishops from across the Anglican Communion to see the Church in action in England, Scotland and Wales. It is the first time that such a programme has been co-ordinated in advance of the Lambeth Conference.

As well as allowing local worshippers to offer Christian hospitality, it also gives us a chance to hear how God is working in different cultures.

The Diocese of Portsmouth is linked specifically to Ghana via the Inter-Diocesan West Africa Link (IDWAL), which celebrates its 30th anniversary this summer. That link has seen dozens of Ghanaian Christians visiting parishes Portsmouth and hundreds of worshippers from Portsmouth Diocese visiting Ghana over the past three decades. There are also thriving links between individual parishes and schools.

The overseas bishops, their spouses and civic guests will spend time with the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Kenneth Stevenson, in Portsmouth Cathedral. Part of their visit will also include a day on the Isle of Wight, and visits to HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Spinnaker Tower.

The Rev Mark Rodel, who is chairing the diocese's Lambeth hospitality co-ordinating group, said: "Each of the bishops and their spouses will stay with a family in their home. It's a tremendous opportunity to offer the gift of hospitality to representatives of our sister churches around the world.

"Those of us involved in planning the programme are excited about the opportunity to hear from God as we share stories of our participation in God's mission in some very different settings. It will be a time for learning and growth for all of us in our engagement with God."

The Lambeth Conference takes place every 10 years at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Hundreds of bishops from the worldwide Anglican Communion will meet for 20 days of worship, study and conversation at the University of Kent. The Archbishop's wife, Jane Williams, is hosting a parallel Spouses' Conference.