In a recent interview with the English newspaper Church Times, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. George Carey, revealed that he had been thinking for some time about the possibility of an international gathering of Anglican lay persons to be held in either 2003 or 2004. The archbishop apparently envisions such a convocation as something on the order of the Lambeth Conference, with delegates from each Anglican diocese going to a site, probably in Africa, for a minimum of two weeks.

The idea of an international gathering of lay persons from all over the Anglican Communion is quite appealing. Such a time could be used to discuss mission and ministry, to probe issues facing Anglicans, and to follow up, perhaps to take some action, on the results of the Lambeth Conference. If such a congress takes place, we hope youth delegates, at least one from each diocese, will be included.

The possibility of people returning from an international gathering of lay persons to help renew and revitalize local churches throughout the world is intriguing and exciting. While the possibility exists that local clergy and diocesan bishops could resist or fail to share the potential enthusiasm such a gathering could generate, the good will and positive impact of the proposed assembly could overcome such hurdles.

A question that needs to be asked about such an idea is from where will the funding come? The Anglican Communion office could not handle such a venture, and many dioceses, especially those in the Third World, would be unable to afford to send delegates.

The proposal for an international assembly of Anglican lay persons is a good one, for the church needs to hear the voices of its lay persons. We hope those involved in the study of such a venture will be intentional about their work, that it may be focused on a purpose to bring Anglican lay persons together - not only for fellowship, although that would be an important aspect of a convocation, but also for matters of concern to the entire Anglican Communion. We will be anxious to hear more.