Lambeth Conference: August 1st

Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales: "I think people have realised that there are not going to be any resolutions and some feel frustrated and wanted some kind of definitive statements to take home with them. Part of what this process is about is listening to different viewpoints. The drafters of the covenant will revise the covenant in the light of these. It's the only sensible way. It may seem a long drawn-out process but it will go to the Anglican Consultative Council and then come back to the provinces who will then decide if it is acceptable to them or not. There is no point in submitting it to churches now, who will tear it apart. The Windsor Continuation group has involved listening to the reactions to the proposals and it will go away and these further suggestions will be brought to the Anglican Consultative Council and then go to the provinces."

Eugene Taylor Sutton, Bishop of Maryland: "The great struggle before us at this conference is defining what it means to be the Church, and how can we remain in communion with each other despite deep theological differences. I have argued here strongly for an inclusive Church that does not exclude anyone of my brothers and sisters in Christ because of their differences. To be a Christian is not to give intellectual assent to a body of doctrine, no matter how passionately the institutional Church has held on to them. To be a Christian is to follow a living Christ who continues to lead us to places where we do not want to go, and calling us to love and embrace those whom we would rather be more like us in every way. The traditions of the Church ground us, but we cannot become slaves to tradition if they have caused us to limit the scope of the reach of Christ in our day. Such has been the unfortunate history of the Church whenever it has found itself on the wrong side of scientific revelations, and on the wrong side of using biblical and theological interpretations that have resulted in the subjugation of people who cry out for justice. Have we not been here before when the Church used Holy Scripture to justify human slavery? Of keeping women in their place? Of persecuting left-handed people? (I’m not kidding here…this was very common.) How many times must our children’s children have to apologize for the mistakes and oppressions their leaders in the faith have committed in the name of Christ?"

Keith Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy: "The amount of time left versus the amount of action needed is coming to a predictable impasse. I see fatigue in the faces of many bishops. I almost wish we could be Roman Catholics when the Popes dies for a couple of days and they would put us in Canterbury Cathedral and brick up the doors. Since we don't seem to have that polity, Heathrow and Gatwick will be open for business on Sunday."