The Lambeth Conference of Bishops in England next July will bear a striking organizational resemblance to a recent pan-Anglican consultation underwritten by Trinity Church, Wall Street, last July in Madrid.

“I assure you there is no collusion,” said the Rev. Ian Douglas, professor of world mission at Episcopal Divinity School and a member of the Lambeth Planning Committee. “The idea was to create a space for many voices to speak.”

Prof. Douglas addressed the House of Bishops during a plenary session Sept. 24. He said the Lambeth Conference will be radically different in design from any other Lambeth Conference in recent memory.

It will begin with a three-day retreat designed to help bishops become more mission minded. After the conclusion of the retreat, bishops will be assigned to two Ubuntu table groups: a more intimate one of eight and a larger one involving five groups of eight combined. They will discuss about one dozen issues of common interest before the Anglican Communion, including economics and poverty, gender inequality and violence, human sexuality and identity.

The Lambeth Planning Group is not responsible for funding the Lambeth Conference, but Prof. Douglas said the planning group had recently met with the officers who are in charge of funding and they reported having sufficient funds to cover the cost of the conference for bishops. Unlike in past years, there are not sufficient funds on hand to cover the cost of bursaries of programming for spouses.

Steve Waring

Additional Coverage from the House of Bishops’ Meeting:

• Bishops: New Document Will Preserve Status Quo

• Bishops Debate Resolution Behind Closed Doors

• Bishops Struggle to Craft Satisfactory Statement

• Writing Group Presents House of Bishops With Draft

• Historic Two Days Ahead for House of Bishops

• Bishop Steenson Will Become a Roman Catholic

• Multiple Resolutions Await Bishops on Monday

• Concluding his Visit, Archbishop Seeks to Lower Expectations

• Details Sketchy on Episcopal Visitors Proposal

• Eight Agree to Serve as Episcopal Visitors

• Bishops, Archbishop of Canterbury Begin Private Sessions

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