Anglican Communion News Service

A Message from the St Augustine's Seminar, 2006 - Lambeth Conference Press Release No. 4

As agreed by the Seminar on Friday 10 November at Lambeth Palace, London:

At the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and in the context of prayer and worship, we, the members of the St Augustine's Seminar gathered to prepare an agenda for consideration by the Design Group of the Lambeth Conference. We met in a spirit of openness where the views and opinions of each participant could be sympathetically heard.

In addressing the seminar, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Rowan Williams, expressed his hope that the Lambeth Conference would lead to a recovery of structural self confidence in the Anglican Communion to make it a more effective agent of God's mission.

We see the Lambeth Conference 2008 as a great opportunity where bishops of the Anglican Communion gather to celebrate their fellowship in Jesus Christ. We see it as an occasion when the bishops can listen to and discuss the challenges that are facing the Communion. By respectfully listening to each other in the spirit of reconciling love, bishops will be enabled to address controversial issues.

We pray that through the open sharing of their experiences and concerns, the bishops will return to their dioceses better informed and equipped for their role as leaders of the Church for God's mission to the world, and with a clearer understanding of the Communion today.

To ensure full participation and to enable each voice to be heard, the bishops will meet for prayer and Bible study in groups of eight, and, later, move to groups of forty for wider discussions. In addition there will be a number of plenary sessions and presentations.

Seeking a revitalised Communion, the Conference will help the bishops to develop their skills of leadership and their understanding of their ministry and to be newly inspired for God's mission as outlined in the Five Marks of Mission :

• proclaiming the Good news
• teaching, baptising and nurturing
• responding to human need by loving service
• seeking to transform the unjust structures of society
• striving to safeguard the integrity of creation

Lambeth is a very special time for bishops to meet together and share their concerns. There are a number of bishops on the Design Group which is officially responsible for setting the agenda for the Lambeth Conference and as they draw up a final agenda, they will take account of any relevant idea or suggestion. Bishops, especially, are invited to forward any ideas or suggestions to the Lambeth Conference Design Group sueparks@lambethconference.org Fax +44 (0)207 313 3999

We share with the Archbishop of Canterbury the prayer that the 2008 Lambeth Conference will lead to a reconciled Communion through renewed commitment to God's mission .

Notes for Editors

1. The Seminar was attended by participants from the following provinces/churches/dioceses:
Aotearoa, Polynesia and New Zealand
Australia
Canada
Central Africa
Church of North India
Cyprus & the Gulf
Congo
Egypt
England
Indian Ocean
Jerusalem and the Middle East
Nigeria
Church of Pakistan
Southern Africa
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
USA
West Indies

2. The Design Group next meets in December 2006 for its next meeting with the Archbishop of Melanesia as the chair with an international membership.

3. Mrs Jane Williams met with a group of bishops' spouses in London and Canterbury 10-13 November, to look at the separate and unique Spouses Programme for 2008.

A session in the Guard Room of Lambeth Palace

Photo Credit: ACNS

Seminar co-chair, Bishop Makoba Thabo, right, with Conference Manager Sue Parks, left and the Lambeth Conference Chaplain, Bishop Winston Haluapu, centre

Photo Credit: ACNS

Mrs Margaret Sentamu, York, UK, a member of the Spouses planning group and Bishop Victoria Matthews, Canada, right, at Lambeth Palace

Photo Credit: ACNS

Lambeth Conference Bible study leader Gerald West speaks to the seminar at St Matthew's Church, Westminster

Photo Credit: ACNS