On the eve of the Lambeth Conference, bishops of the Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia sent letters to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. George Carey, expressing concern on topics facing the Anglican Communion.

In a letter signed by the Most Rev. Moses Tay, Primate of South East Asia and Bishop of Singapore, along with six other bishops, the Asians raised their concerns about the future of the Anglican Communion. The bishops were upset by the closing of the Missions and Evangelism Department of the Communion and the dismissal of its executive, the Rev. Cyril Okorocha. They called the move "discouraging to many provinces which are genuinely concerned about real missions and evangelism. We regret that we have to exercise our prophetic ministry even within the church and call our leadership to repentance."

In the same letter, the Asian bishops also challenged the effectiveness of some of the networks of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and the ministry of the general secretary of the ACC. "The Family Network has undermined biblical ideals of marriage and has been promoting 'alternative' styles such as cohabitation," the letter states.

The letter also suggests that it may be time to review the role and the relevance of the ACC and to determine "if it is now outliving its usefulness."

A second letter from the Asian bishops expresses concern over Bishop Spong's 12 theses [TLC, May 17], and recommends that the Lambeth Conference dismiss the bishop and his theses without debate. A joint letter by Bishop Spong and Bishop Peter Lee of South Africa was criticized, and a proposed commission to study matters of sexuality was called "inappropriate" by the Asian bishops. It concluded by stating that the Communion "is at the crossroad and crisis of faith and mission."