Lambeth Conference, Day of Reckoning?

May 2008

(This is a bit of an Op-Ed piece.) Once every decade, all of the active bishops in the entire worldwide Anglican Communion gather at the Lambeth Palace in England for a ten-day conference. The Episcopal Church is part of the Lambeth gathering, and we will send our two bishops, Greg and Nedi with our prayers. At the last Lambeth meeting it would be fair to say that the Episcopal Church “got served,” by which I mean a strong rebuke from an 85% majority of bishops living in the rest of the world. American and English bishops returned home a bit surprised that the grandchildren of our missionary efforts had come of age with voice and vote to call us to account. And we’ve struggled to comprehend our new relationship for the past ten years. Now we are about to return to Lambeth with no little tension in the air.

What’s happened in the meanwhile is the flowering of the information age, and globalization. (To the point, the word “globalization” is not even in my spell checker!) The Episcopal Church is struggling to catch up. Here’s an analogy I find useful. Think about Boeing. They used to design and build an airplane in the US, and then present it to the rest of the world. The world said, “That’s a great airplane, I want to buy it.” And so we exported our finished product to the world. But today, if Boeing wants to sell an airplane to the world they realize that the whole world needs to be involved building it. And so various pieces of the new 787 are designed, or manufactured all over the globe to be assembled here. The result is record pre orders of the 787 because “they” are no longer buying “our” airplane, “they” are buying “their own” airplane in part. Globalization means everyone participates in a meaningful way.

I see the Episcopal Church ten years ago at Lambeth, coming to the table as we always had, to present and sell our great ideas to the rest of the Anglican Communion. In the past “they” often loved and warmly received our financial aid, and progressive ideas. What happened in 1998? The Anglican Communion told the Episcopal Church in effect, “We aren’t buying it unless we have a meaningful role in building it.” In my opinion, all of the theological chatter, voting, and conflict are, in my opinion, over the global reapportionment of authority and honor and ideas in the Anglican Communion.

My great hope for the worldwide Anglican Communion is that they, that we, can find a new balance. Some Anglican provinces deserve much more voice and power; some need to yield. All provinces (a province would be, for example, The Episcopal Church) need to be about mission and ministry in their unique contexts and not get harassed for it. To that end, the Archbishop of Canterbury is returning to the roots of the Lambeth Conference. The bishops will spend less time on legislation and voting and much more time in prayer, Bible study and fellowship and discernment. Oh, would that our diocesan convention went in this direction too!

I ask you to join me to pray for Greg and Nedi our Bishops. July 16 through August 3, 2008.

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our divisions; take away our prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one Hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one hear and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and my with one mind and one mouth glorify You; that there may be one Flock under one Shepherd, even Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

—Jim