Read Ruth Gledhill's blog on the Lambeth Conference launch

About 600 bishops have registered for the 2008 Lambeth Conference, the ten-yearly Anglican gathering. That represents about 70 per cent of the world’s total.

About a quarter have still to say whether they will turn up or not, fuelling fears of a partial boycott. Some of those who plan to stay away are expected to attend a “rival” conference in Israel organised a few weeks earlier by conservatives.

Speaking at a press conference at Lambeth Palace in London, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said that there remained a “very strong loyalty to each other and a desire to stay together” within the Anglican Communion. The three-week conference will be held in Canterbury in July. Among the issues that will be explored are the new Anglican Covenant, interfaith relations, international development and envi-ronmental issues.

'If Church got rid of gay clergy it would collapse'

A homosexual bishop claims the Church of England would come close to dimise if it was forced to manage without gay clergy

BACKGROUND

• Gay weddings flourish in a religious stronghold

• Pope to discuss influx of Anglicans

• US Church pledges not to consecrate gay bishops

• Bishop defects to Catholic Church in gay row

BACKGROUND

• Pro-gay agenda pushes Church closer to schism

• Archbishop of Canterbury's 'secret gay communion'

• Archbishop faces clash over gay marriages of 50 priests

A parallel conference for bishops’ spouses is being organised by Dr Williams’ wife, Jane. She said that some may think of it as “basically jam and Jerusalem, ‘more tea vicar’, or mitre-making and flower arranging”.

She added: “There will certainly be food and singing but there will also be a chance to meet some of the most interesting, committed and dynamic people in the Anglican Communion.”