Sydney boycott of Lambeth "disappointing" says Primate

by Jane Still

The Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia has described as “disappointing” the decision by the Archbishop and Bishops of the Diocese of Sydney to boycott the upcoming Lambeth Conference in July.

Sydney’s Archbishop Peter Jensen announced on the weekend that despite remaining fully committed to the Anglican Communion, they “sense that attending the Conference at this time will not help heal its divisions.”

Archbishop Philip Aspinall said in a public statement that he found it difficult to understand the view that the Lambeth Conference was not a proper place to deal with issues facing the international Anglican Communion.

“Lambeth happens once every ten years and … it is a very significant gathering in which the vast majority of bishops will participate,” Dr Aspinall said.

“I think the only way we can really address issues of deep difference in the life of the Church is to come together, pray together, study the scriptures and speak openly with each other. That some bishops seem willing to forego this important opportunity is disappointing.”

Dr Jensen said in a statement on the Sydney Anglican website, however, that for many, to attend Lambeth “would be to acquiesce with the North American actions,” in their response to the issue of the consecration of gay bishops and the blessing of same sex unions.

“[Those not attending Lambeth] are not ending the Anglican Communion, or even dividing it,” Dr Jensen said. “They are simply dealing with the reality that the nature of the communion has now been altered and reflecting that Lambeth is not as crucial to the future as it once was.”

The Archbishop of Sydney has been involved in organising the GAFCON conference in the Holy Land prior to Lambeth, which will be attended by a group of bishops from Nigeria, the Southern Cone and the United Kingdom to “explore other options” in resolving divisive issues in the worldwide Anglican Communion.