Lambeth Conference cancelled 30 Sep 2014 Author:George Conger The 2018 Lambeth Conference has been cancelled. The precarious state of the Anglican Communion has led the Archbishop of Canterbury to postpone indefinitely the every ten year meeting of the bishops of the Anglican Communion. A spokesman for Archbishop Justin Welby told Anglican Ink that as the archbishop had not yet met with each of the primates of the communion, he would not be commenting on the news. Since his installation last year, the Archbishop of Canterbury has travelled extensively and plans on visiting the 37 other provinces of the Anglican Communion within the first 18 months of his term of office. News of the cancellation was made public by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori on 23 Sept 2014. In response to a question from the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt. Rev. Prince Singh, who asked if money was being set aside to fund the Episcopal Church’s participation in the 2018 meeting, the Presiding Bishop told the Fall Meeting of the House of Bishops gathered in Taipei, Taiwan, that she had been told by Archbishop Welby the meeting had been cancelled. According to a report of the exchange printed by the Episcopal News Service, the Presiding Bishop said Archbishop Welby had “been very clear that he is not going to call a Lambeth until he is 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.” She further stated that “as he continues his visits around the communion to those primates it’s unlikely that he will call such a meeting at all until at least a year from now or probably 18 months from now. Therefore I think we are looking at 2019, more likely 2020, before a Lambeth Conference.” Click here for the rest of the article: http://anglicanink.com/article/lambeth-conference-cancelled
Keep in mind always that ++Justin is driven by the need for reconciliation in each field in which he finds himself active. And he doesn't just waffle about reconciliation, he works at it, using the professional tools he has learned. He sees the need for reconciliation in the Communion, and he is working at it. If he is holding off calling a Lambeth conference it is simply because it doesn't fit the reconciliation programme he's working on. He is a professional at this stuff: it's not unplanned.
If you are looking for an answer to various problems within the Communion, I should have thought that one good way, if not the best, is to call the leaders together for a deep discussion on the problems! Mind you, I see the point, probably the troubles might stem from W/Orders,(Bishops.) Gaye activities and so on. Where the division is deep, but the questions are not going to go away and neither will people ,on either side forget their opposition! If however people continue to leave or fragment, these bishops, this Metropolitan, will have a lot to answer for! Up to now the system seems to be to face the loss of the traditionalists and encourage the liberals!
Other links do not suggest it is cancelled. http://www.anglicannews.org/news/20...h-conference-a-decision-for-the-primates.aspx http://www.virtueonline.org/2018-lambeth-conference-doubt-not-cancelled The first link also contains this helpful bit:
Dear Friend, I phrased the earlier comment badly, as far as I can see. The Anglican Communion Bishops need to meet, what I think is necessary, is for the Bishops of the whole Catholic Church, i'e' Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman and Traditional Anglican to meet together to discuss the very real problems that are tearing the Catholic Church apart . In fact they should appeal for a n Ecumenical or General Council. The questions that are splitting the Church ,these are the question of W/Orders especially Women Bishops and the question of gay marriage! Indeed is marriage between two men lawful? It is not for the bishops of one section of the Body of Christ to take decisions that tear their own Communion apart without a serious discussion led by informed and qualified scholars and others. If we look at what has been done with the Anglican Communion .It impels Anglican traditionalists to believe that answers are being imposed on us and Holy Tradition abandoned. it is simply a reflection of what is happening in other places where not only w/o are a source of trouble Christianity/Catholicism is abandoning long believed beliefs, without any real explanation of the why's & wherefores. We have not surely the right to drive people to extremes without some attempt to explain.
Archbishop Welby confirmed yesterday that he is moving towards a collegial model for the Communion and its meetings: And for the future of the Communion? I have not called a Primates’ Meeting on my own authority (although I could) because I feel that it is necessary for the Anglican Communion to develop a collegial model of leadership, as much as it is necessary in the Church of England, and I have therefore waited for the end of the visits to Provinces. If the majority view of the Primates is that such a meeting would be a good thing, one will be called in response. The agenda for that meeting will not be set centrally, but from around the Primates of the Communion. One issue that needs to be decided on, ideally by the Primates’ meeting, is whether and if so when there is another Lambeth Conference. It is certainly achievable, but the decision is better made together carefully, than in haste to meet an artificial deadline of a year ending in 8. A Lambeth Conference is so expensive and so complex that we have to be sure that it is worthwhile. It will not be imposed, but part of a collective decision. The whole of Archbishop Justin's address on the Anglican Communion is here: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.o...ins-presidential-address-to-the-general-synod