Archbishop Peter Jensen on Lambeth 2008
Statement from the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen
4th August 2008
“We have been praying for the Lambeth conference and now that it has ended we look forward to talking with those who were there.
It seems it has fulfilled the desires of the Archbishop of Canterbury and we also look forward to hearing from him.
Our absence focussed minds on the problems within the communion and spoke louder than our presence would have. However, the issues which have caused such division are still before us and require decisive action so that the mission of the church will not be further impaired.”
Lambeth ‘failure’ featured on ABC Radio
This morning’s AM programme on ABC Radio covered the conclusion of the Lambeth Conference.
Audio of the segment (in which Gene Robinson describes Bible-believing bishops as ‘bullies’) is now available from the ABC website. Direct link to mp3 file. (The 1.5MB file runs for 3 minutes 15 seconds.)
Lambeth ends: TEC PB’s statement
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at the conclusion of the 2008 Lambeth Conference:
“… The Anglican Communion is suffering the birth pangs of something new, which none of us can yet fully appreciate or understand, yet we know that the Spirit continues to work in our midst. …”
– read the full statement via the Episcopal News Service.
Also worth reading: Galatians 1:3-9.
(Photo: Episcopal Life Online.)
Communion broken, patient dying from wounds
From the beginning, numerous voices here at Canterbury have been saying that this was the Archbishop’s show – start to finish – his to win or his to lose.
He’s functioned admirably as teacher and retreat leader. His lectures were excellent. He succeeded in keeping everyone here talking. Meanwhile Canterbury has added the weight of history. This is the mother church of the Communion.
The Communion gathered here at Canterbury is broken.
The Episcopal Church has run helter skelter through its ranks and left devastation – a rogue elephant that simply will not be reigned in. The problem is it’s a very wealthy rogue and the trail of money is everywhere. …
– The Rev. Todd Wetzel reports from Canterbury at the end of the Lambeth Conference for Anglicans United and Latimer Online.
Bishop Lawrence: GAFCON is heir apparent
The Global Anglican Fellowship Conference (GAFCON) is the heir apparent to assume leadership of the Anglican Communion, said three bishops during an informal media briefing this afternoon at the Lambeth Conference.
Bishops Mark Lawrence of South Carolina and Keith Ackerman of Quincy were joined by Bishop Hector Zavala of Chile from the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone on the campus of the University of Kent, Canterbury, shortly before Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams was scheduled to deliver his final presidential address of the conference. …
– Report from The Living Church. (Photo: Bill Murton, Diocese of South Carolina.)
Archbishop Mouneer Anis at Lambeth press conference
“From my experience of the Bible studies and of the Indaba discussions I see a great wall being put up by revisionists against those orthodox who believe in the authority of Scripture. The revisionists among us push upon us the view that current secular culture and not the Bible should shape our mission and morals. In this we are not divided by mere trivialities, or issues on the periphery of faith but on essentials.
I am shocked to say that we are finding it very hard to come together on even the essentials of the faith we once received from the Apostles. …”
– Archbishop Mouneer Anis, Primate of the Middle East, at a Lambeth press conference. Text via Global South Anglican.
GAFCON, the future and the Jerusalem Statement
The Global Anglican Future CONference held in Jerusalem at the end of June 2008 occurred not to stop a split in the Anglican Communion but because there already exists such a split. That is a sad but hard fact. …
In 2002 Rowan Williams was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. Rowan Williams had publicly admitted to ordaining a man he knew had a homosexual partner …
– David Holloway, Vicar of Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, reflects on the need for GAFCON – at Anglican Mainstream. (Photo: Reform.)