Lambeth Digest, Day 3
Episcopal News Service, Canterbury. July 23, 2008 [072308-04]
Solange De Santis and Pat McCaughan
Much happens each day at the Lambeth Conference. In addition to Episcopal Life Media's other coverage, here's some of what else happened on July 23, the third day of the conference.
Windsor Report continuation process
The day held a session led by members of the Windsor Continuation Group, a committee that is analyzing the current tensions in the Anglican Communion and monitoring the aftermath of the Windsor Report. The report in 2004 addressed ways of staying in communion in the context of disagreements on sexuality.
The Rev. Ian Douglas, a member of the conference planning committee, attended the session and said the comments on the Windsor process were "constructive." It is the only time the Windsor Continuation Group is able to hear from a "huge range of bishops," he said.
David Jones, suffragan bishop of Virginia, said the session was "the beginning of a long conversation."
Bishop Alan Wilson of Buckingham, England, writing on his blog, or Internet diary, said that "for me and the people sitting around me it was a very special experience, for the respectful, clear and charitable way strong points were made from all sides of the Windsor report issues. It was good also to have affirmation from an ecumenical colleague that they acknowledge as deep a problem in other churches and commit to travel with us towards ways forward for the good of all, not just Anglicans. It's good to know some partners see us as leading the pack in working this through, though it's a scary place to be."
Bishops react to Sudanese statement
Some bishops attending the Lambeth conference on July 23 reacted to a statement made the previous day by Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul of Sudan that the Episcopal Church had lost its way and asked Gene Robinson, the bishop of New Hampshire who is in a same-gender partnership, to step down.
"We have had some harsh words from our good friend Daniel Deng Bul," said Bishop Jeffrey Lee of Chicago in a video statement also available on youtube aimed at the diocese and released July 22.
He confirmed that the longstanding companion relationship between his diocese and the Diocese of Renk, where Deng served as bishop until his election this year as primate of Sudan, would continue. "He had harsh things to say about the Episcopal Church and some of the actions we have taken. I had a chance to talk to Daniel, and what I can say to you, bottom line, is that our affection for each other continues. His affection for the Diocese of Chicago and gratitude for many gifts we have given and brought to the Sudan continues.
"My commitment is that our relationship will continue, that it's bigger and deeper than differences over discipline matters and the things that divide us. My commitment remains to the Episcopal Church and the processes we have taken to the full inclusion of all God's people and we were able to share about that."
Archbishop Mauricio de Andrade, primate of Brazil, said he thought the Sudanese archbishop's statement was "very sad," adding that "now is the moment for listening and conversation, not the moment for 'agree with me or I won't talk with you.' It is the moment for being open, sharing and especially listening."
Last February, de Andrade wrote an open letter, committing himself to the Lambeth Conference and to the Anglican Communion and saying he regretted the decisions by five primates to boycott the conference.
"I was asked here, 'will you send a new letter,' and I said, 'No, this is not the time. I hope (Sudan's) letter will not create a storm in the conversation. Now is the time to stay in communion and solidarity."
Conference organizers, who had planned an event centered on discussion groups rather than parliamentary-style debate, resolutions and voting, were dismayed.
Archbishop Sir Ellison Pogo of Melanesia, who is chair of the conference planning committee, commented that "this issue is so destructive at the moment." Two days into the business session of the three-week conference is "too soon to make statements. It is unfortunate. We should allow space to create debate on both sides. It is not time for understandings that are already there," he said.
If one issue takes over the conference, he said, "it creates a barrier, a wall. We need to focus more on the listening process, getting to know where we are. An open mind is very important."
David Jones, suffragan bishop of Virginia, said, "We need to talk, but we're not going to solve the problems by throwing hand grenades. We need to see the living Christ in each other."
Bishop Paul Colton, of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Church of Ireland, said he heard from some of his conservative colleagues felt the Archbishop of Sudan's statement was "something that needed to be said." Others, he said, felt it was "precipitous." He felt "we should rest with the process (of the conference) and run with it."
On his blog (Internet diary), Colton wrote after the Archbishop of Sudan's statement, "Sadly, I detect an impatience with the new process which calls for patience. Two days is not a fair trial of any new method. If the people in the pews rejected any of our innovations on the basis of two outings we would soon point out to them that it takes more than two encounters with the new to explore its potential. Meanwhile, here at Lambeth, I detect this impatience on the part of some, if truth be known, to get on with talking about what they seem principally to have come here to talk about: sex!"
'Lambeth Witness' vandalized on University of Kent campus
The Rev. Susan Russell, Integrity President, reports discovering today that issues of 'Lambeth Witness' were stolen and stands containing copies of the inclusive communion publication were vandalized. "Today we found that our stands had the papers stolen and trashed and one of them had been removed and vandalized.
The newsstands became necessary when conference organizers allowed Russell and others to distribute the newsletters but prohibited them from personally hand-delivering them to Lambeth Conference participants.
After connecting with conference organizers about today's incident, under investigation by University of Kent campus security, Russell said "their first suggestion was that maybe we should try handing then out instead." Added Russell: "No, I couldn't make this up!"
News media to receive list of conference participants
After pressure from journalists covering Lambeth 2008 for the names of the 670 or so bishops in attendance, conference planners reached what they hope will be a satisfactory compromise: they asked bishops in their indaba groups this morning if they would agree to the release of their names to the media.
The list, to be made available in the next day or so, will still be incomplete, however. Some bishops declined, others were absent from their groups, reporters learned at a press conference this morning.
Film tells stories of gay Christians in Africa
The gay-support group Integrity USA presented a short preview of a documentary called "Voices of Witness: Africa" that featured gay, lesbian and transgendered people in Africa. Several of the people in the film appeared at a panel discussion after the screening and said they were there to refute the claims of some Anglican bishops that no homosexuals exist in Africa. "We are not strangers and we need to be heard," said Davis Mac-Iyalla, who noted, "I was baptized and confirmed in the Anglican Church of Nigeria. This is not a political game. Stop denying our existence." The archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, is among those boycotting the conference over differences with more-liberal churches concerning homosexuality.
Retired bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Uganda, who disagrees with his primate, Archbishop Henry Orombi, on the subject of homosexuality, said that "I have discovered during my counseling that homosexuality is universal; it is in all humanity. The church should welcome those people, should definitely bless them and when called to the ministry, should not discriminate against these people from being ordained to the highest order, which is bishops."
Next up
The daily schedules for the bishops and spouses conferences, as well as each evening's official "fringe events" are here.