The 2008 Lambeth Conference will take place over 16 days in mid-July, 2008 delegates to Anglican Consultative Council learned on June 28. Firm dates for the decennial gathering of bishops will be set by the end of July.

Sue Parks, the 2008 Lambeth Conference administrator, along with Lambeth Conference design group members Bishop James Tengatenga of Southern Malawi and Fung Yi Wong of Hong Kong gave a summary of the conference goals.

Lack of funds led to the cancellation of a joint Anglican Gathering/Lambeth Conference which supporters had hoped to hold in Cape Town, South Africa. “Current uncertainties contributed to the lack of confidence to raise the funds for 2008,” Ms. Wong said.

Bishop Tengatenga stated the “category of persons to be invited will be determined by the end of this year,” indicating the innovation of inviting all bishops (diocesan, suffragan, and assistant) introduced at Lambeth 1998 might not be repeated.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said the past practice of focusing “on large blocks of work usually by four groups of bishops” might also be changed. “If we are honest,” he said, “the reports gather dust.” In 1998, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, now Archbishop of Canterbury, was chair of one of the four conference sections which addressed resolutions and prepared reports.

“I have a sense that this structure may not serve us best,” Archbishop Williams said. “It may be that a shape of the conference has to take more account of the training needs of those who come.”

This “doesn’t mean we avoid the big issues,” he added. But “an issue-dominated Lambeth Conference will not help us in the empowering and equipping” of the bishops.

With the caveat that “none of this is set in concrete,” Ms. Parks stated, the working themes of the conference were: “How is the gospel of reconciliation integral to the mission of God?” and “How is God’s mission furthered through the education and formation of the leaders of these churches?”

Ms. Parks said the design group would follow the model used to respond to the Windsor Report to solicit input from the provinces to prepare the agenda. She also noted that the working languages for conference documents would be English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili.

Bishop Kumara Illangesinghe of the Church of Ceylon asked the organizers to ensure “no one issue” monopolizes the 2008 Lambeth Conference. He also urged the organizers to err on the side of inclusion. “Can we ensure that the whole Anglican Communion will be brought together in the conference?,” he asked.

The Rev. George Conger is in Nottingham, England reporting for The Living Church from the triennial meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council.

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· Primates Included as Ex Officio ACC Members

· ACC Opts for Compromise on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

· ACC Lauds Church’s Ethical Investment Program

· Council Somber After Vote to Exclude North Americans

· ACC Suspends North American Churches

· Vote on Resolution to Expel North Americans Scheduled

· Communion's Spotlight is on Presentation Panels

· Archbishop Says Common Ground Still Exists

· Status Quo at ACC Holds on Second Day

· Withdrawn Status of North Americans Noted

· ACC Opening Session Surprise

· ACC Meeting Opens with Dinner and Orientation

· Bishop Roskam to Serve in Two Capacities at Nottingham

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