From July 26 to August 8, 2022, the 15th Lambeth Conference took place at the University of Kent (England). More than 650 Anglican bishops, together with their spouses, representing about 165 countries and about 85 million faithful, gathered near the historic seat of Anglicanism, Canterbury Cathedral, with the intention of responding to the challenges that the local circumstances of the 42 provincial churches of the Communion pose to Christian faith and witness in the 21st century.
The first Lambeth Conference was held in 1867, and about every 10 years since then the bishops of the Communion have met at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. They come to pray together, study the Bible and discuss the most pressing issues within their local communities. With the exception of 2018, when Archbishop Justin Welby first had to postpone the Conference and then because of Covid-19 relegate it to 2022, the 10-year assemblies provide a regular opportunity for bishops from around the world to meet and learn from one another.
Approximately 1,000 Anglican bishops were invited to the recent Conference, but, as mentioned, only 650 attended. As was already the case at the Lambeth Conference in 2008, a significant number of bishops belonging to the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) were reluctant to participate, because of their disagreement with the majority view that exists among the bishops of the Anglican Communion on issues of gender and sexual orientation.
|
