[Lambeth Conference]

https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official5257

Source: Anglican News Service

Date: 1968 August 28

Date: 1968 August 28

Source: Anglican News Service

Type: Press Release

Text of motion: London, England - All efforts to remedy social injustices at the national or local level, should be done ecumenically, bishops attending the Lambeth Conference agreed upon in a last message before adjournment.; The world-wide conference of 460 Anglican bishops concluded with a Service of Eucharist at St. Paul's Cathedral, Sunday, August 25.; The bishops agreed in a statement to all Anglicans that fulfilment of the ministry of the church would be a great deal easier if the church were not divided.; "It would be much easier if what could be done together, were done together," it said. The emphasis on unity was present throughout all four weeks of the sessions.; During the debate on developing union schemes involving national churches of the Anglican Communion, the conference recommended:; The Anglican Church should be free to allow reciprocal acts of inter-communion under the direction of a bishop where an agreement to unite between an Anglican Church and some other church has been expressed in a covenant or some other appropriate form:; Anglican communicants are free to attend Eucharist in other churches holding the apostolic faith as contained in the scripture and creeds when they know they are welcome to do so:; Under the direction of the bishop, Christians duly baptized and qualified to receive communion in their own churches, may be welcomed at communion services in the Anglican Communion.; Following the passage of these resolutions, Canadian bishops had words of caution for members of the Anglican and United churches of Canada who are proposing immediate inter-communion between the two denominations. A "principle of union" scheme has been drawn up between the two denominations and a target date for union set for 1974.; "The question of inter-communion is going to cause difficulty to a section of the Canadian church," said Most Rev. H.H. Clark, Primate of the Canadian church. "Already we have some indication that there will be a crisis of conscience of some of our people and this is a great cause for concern."; "People who have loved the older world, which is dying, find it a little difficult, and they have good theological reasons. They have to be sure we are doing the right thing." He said he supported the Lambeth resolutions on unity, but said it must be decided by each national church whether inter-communion can be attained.; Most Rev. W.L. Wright, Archbishop of Algoma, said the section passed by the Lambeth conference unity, was a "real breakthrough." But the Archbishop, who is co-chairman of the Anglican-United Church Commission on Union, asked for patience on the part of those who desired that inter-communion between members of the Anglican and United churches be begun immediately.; The inter-communion issue is expected to be discussed further when the Canadian bishops meet with those from the United States in Augusta, Ga., from October 20-24.; Archbishop Clark said that most of the debate was centred on concern for the Christian faith, rather than Anglicanism.; "The end of the Anglican Communion wasn't something that was much on our tongue," he said. It has been said by some bishops, who look at the progressing union talks of at least nine national Anglican churches, that this Lambeth conference may have been the last.; "My hunch is that there will be another Lambeth conference. I hope I'm wrong," said the Archbishop. "I'm not much interested in the future of the Anglican Communion. I am, however, very much interested in all that is good in the principles and the life of the Anglican Communion continuing in a wider unity."; The conference passed a resolution which recommends that women who are now deaconesses in the Anglican Communion may be ordained as deacons, the first of the three-fold apostolic order of deacons, priests and bishops. But, at least for now, they cannot go on to the next step as priests.; Women, if such a step is approved by Canadian bishops, can now participate in worship services, preach, baptize and help administer the sacraments of communion.; The conference recommended that before any national church made a final decision to ordain women, the advice of the Anglican Consultative Council, a representative body of all the Anglican churches in the Communion, be sought.; "One thing that came from this debate is how few good reasons in theology there are than can put either for or against the ordination of women," said Archbishop Clark.; Rt. Rev. R.S. Dean, Bishop of Cariboo and executive officer of the Anglican Communion, said the willingness to proceed with inter-communion was one of the important steps the conference took.; "And, at least, we are not closing the door on women priests," he said. He also said there were "all sorts of intangible results of the conference that would become apparent during the next year."; Rt. Rev. G.N. Luxton, Bishop of Huron, expressed his disappointment when a resolution he proposed, that bishops pledge two per cent of their gross annual income for poverty and famine, did not come back for a vote. However, one report presented to the bishops suggested they and their dioceses set aside one per cent of their gross annual income in order to express concern for developing nations.; "I think we went as far as we could in such a scattered group of bishops as we are," he said. He predicted that the North American bishops, when they meet in the fall may be asked to do something of further significance in this direction.; Rt. Rev. J.O. Anderson of Winnipeg, said that many things to which the Lambeth Conference gave its assent, the Canadian church has already been doing. With regard to other issues, he said, the Canadian church has been waiting for some guidance from Lambeth.; "There was a great forward-looking atmosphere at the conference," said Rt. Rev. R.K. Maguire, of Montreal. "Now that the conference is finished, there is a great desire to get on with the business it dealt with."; Rt. Rev. E.S. Reed, of Ottawa, said the conference placed emphasis on the needs of the world. "The church showed a desire to struggle with the problems of society for which there are no easy answers," he said.

Subjects: Lambeth Conference, 1968; Christian union - 20th century; Christian union - Anglican Church of Canada; Christian union - Anglican Communion; Intercommunion; Lord's Supper - Admission to - Anglican Church of Canada; Lord's Supper - Admission to - Anglican Communion; Anglican Church of Canada - Relations - United Church of Canada; Ordination of women - Anglican Communion; Ordination of women - Anglican Church of Canada; Deaconesses - Anglican Church of Canada; Deaconesses - Anglican Communion; Women deacons - Anglican Church of Canada; Women deacons - Anglican Communion; Developing countries - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Developing countries - Religious aspects - Anglican Communion; Poverty - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Poverty - Religious aspects - Anglican Communion; Church and social problems - Anglican Communion