Archbishop of Canterbury Says Primatial Gathering was a Success Story
By David Virtue, VOL:
In a surprise announcement, perhaps signaling the end of conflict in the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury said the next Lambeth Conference will be held in 2020 at a press conference on the grounds of Canterbury cathedral, even as protestors outside condemned alleged homophobia in the Anglican Communion.
Archbishop Justin Welby had delayed calling a Lambeth Conference for 2018 because of the torn fabric of the communion regarding homosexuality, the central issue in this week’s meeting of 36 Primates from 38 provinces.
Christian Today reporter Ruth Gledhill asked Archbishop Welby about the conference. Welby replied that he had great hopes for the 2020 conference. “I hope we get the money to do it. I hope that it’s a conference which affirms and does not hurt people and that glorifies God in doing that. I want it to be at a conference where people celebrate the love and joy of Jesus Christ with passion.”
“I was pleased we don’t all agree. It is clear in church teachings not for us to divide the body of Christ.
Unity is going to be costly, painful, joyful and remarkable. We were bound to give confused messages,” he said.
Archbishop Welby took exception several times to reporters’ questions regarding the use of the word “sanctions” to describe what had been done to the Episcopal Church, preferring the word “consequences” in response to several reporters’ queries dealing with TEC’s unilateral decision to consecrate an openly homogenital bishop to the episcopacy and TEC’s approval of gay marriage at its last General Convention.
A number of Global South primates including several representatives from GAFCON had declared themselves in impaired communion with TEC over gay marriage and in an effort by Welby to soften the blow of its actions he preferred the latter word.
In their primatial communique the archbishops made it clear there had been no schism: “It is our unanimous desire to walk together. However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.”
Archbishop Welby will appoint a task group to restore the broken relationships in the Communion, to help rebuild mutual trust and to heal the legacy of hurt. The task group will also attempt to find a way forward in unity for the Communion while exploring “our deep differences,” the Primates said.
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