Is Anglican conference nothing more than a tea party?
Since the first Lambeth Conference took shape in 1867, leaders of the global Anglican Communion have passed hundreds of resolutions and recommendations about land mines, religious freedom, nuclear weapons, euthanasia, ecology, international debt and, yes, human sexuality. Bishops from around the world participated in the conversations, which ran according to parliamentary procedure.
But that was before the Episcopal Church consecrated Rev. Gene Robinson.
The church's choice to approve its first openly gay bishop has significantly altered the operations and landscape of the worldwide church, which has stood at the brink of schism since Robinson's election in 2003. However, no formal discussion or resolutions are expected to come out of this conference regarding the hot-button issue. Furthermore, not all of the world's bishops are invited. For the first time since its inception, no resolutions on any topic will come out of the upcoming Lambeth Conference. Meanwhile, Robinson, the most notable leader left off the guest list, will be signing autographs at the bazaar outside.
Organizers say the new format erases the expectation of a winner or loser. But both gay rights advocates and conservatives within the church believe leaders are merely sidestepping the issue that could transform the worldwide church.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Episcopal scholar Ian Douglas said this year’s Lambeth Conference was designed by a committee composed of bishops, priests and lay people. Instead of a typical convention schedule, the itinerary includes Bible study sessions focused on the Gospel of John.
Afternoons will consist of “indabas,” a Zulu word used to describe groups engaged in purposeful conversation. About 40 bishops will convene for conversations focused on a different topic each of the 10 days. One indaba will focus on scriptural authority, Douglas said. Conservatives believe ordaining clergy in committed same-gender relationships violates the authority of Scripture. Bishops also will self-select evening workshops and seminars, including one being offered on human sexuality. He also said there would be afternoon tea. After all, it is England.
Americans take their tea parties very seriously, said U.S. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori when asked what mark this year’s Lambeth might make. But a revolution won’t necessarily come in the form of new attitudes about sexuality, which seem to take precedence in the West. There are different priorities in other parts of the world, she said.
“In Myanmar, issues of life and death, hunger, disease and in many other parts of the communion, those are what need to be met head on,” she said.
Just this past Sunday, riot police in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, stormed St. Francis Anglican Church as parishioners lined up for communion.
Schori pointed to the first Lambeth Conference in 1867 convened as a response to “bishops teaching things that other bishops found uncomfortable.” She said there were also issues of bishops overstepping their jurisdiction similar to issues facing Episcopal bishops today.
“We still haven’t sorted that out,” she said. “This gathering, we’ll continue to wrestle with some of the challenges of living together in a complex and diverse and sometimes challenging family. That is God’s gift to us and we celebrate it.”
Steve Waring, who has covered the controversy for the conservative Living Church Magazine, said resolutions are the “bread and butter of the Anglican church gathering since the beginning.” He believes they have been omitted from the agenda because any resolutions at such a tense time could fracture the church.
“It’s quintessentially Anglican to put things off,” Waring said. “There’s always hope that the end of the world could come first.”
For his part, Robinson hasn’t been silenced by the absence of an invitation. He recently has appeared on talk shows, promoting his new book, “In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God.” He will attend a book festival in Lake Charles at the end of May. And during Lambeth, he will join exhibitors at an event called the Marketplace. He also will be introduced to other bishops at a reception hosted by a province of the Episcopal Church.
Douglas said although Robinson’s absence is unfortunate, it does not silence the American church either.
“It’s sad and it’s painful when the full family can not come to the family gathering and celebration,” Douglas said.
“Any member who is not invited to the table is a recognized loss and we are all diminished because of that. With respect to understanding what the Holy Spirit is doing in the Episcopal church, it’s not simply the responsibility of one bishop to tell that story. The invitation is before all the bishops of the Episcopal church who will be attending Lambeth to witness to who we are as we seek to be faithful Anglican Christians in this time and place.”
What messages are the Anglican Communion, American church and Robinson sending to parishioners and to the world?
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