The five primates who comprise the Global South Primates Steering Committee have agreed to disagree over the wisdom of attending this summer’s Lambeth Conference, and asserted that the Global South has a “prophetic and priestly vocation” to transform and renew the Anglican Communion.
 
“Enabled by the Holy Spirit, we were able to focus in unity on the original spirit, vision and vocation of the Global South in the Anglican Communion which had developed and deepened since the fateful event of November 2003,” the primates wrote in a communiqué issued at the meeting’s conclusion. “Through our conversations together and clarifications made, we are led to understand and appreciate the principled reasons for participation” in the June Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and the July Lambeth Conference. “Even if there are difference perspectives on these, they do not and should not be allowed to disrupt our common vision, unity and trust within the Global South.”
 
The March 13-15 meeting occurred about two weeks after the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southeast Asia voted to “encourage” its bishops to attend the Lambeth Conference. Archbishops John Chew of Southeast Asia and Mouneer Anis of Jerusalem and the Middle East both serve on the steering committee and will attend Lambeth; the other three committee members will not. Archbishops Peter Akinola of Nigeria and Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda have support from their respective house of bishops, both of whom have said they also will not attend the meeting as it is currently planned. Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone said he will not attend Lambeth, but there has been no definitive statement on Lambeth attendance from the other Southern Cone bishops.
 
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