Lambeth Begins

16Jul08

Dave Walker's tent at the Lambeth Conference

The Lambeth Conference, the once-every-ten-years gathering of all Anglican bishops, began today. It’s big in the news at the moment, what with controversy over GAFCON, Gene Robinson, women bishops and the non-attendance of the Africans all coinciding. It is likely to remain so over the next three weeks, not least because there’s nothing the media like more than religious people fighting.

To combat this, the Archbishop of Canterbury has tried to organise the most boring conference ever, with no official agenda, no major discussions, and absolutely no resolutions. Instead, the bishops will meet together in small groups to chat and listen to each other. For three weeks.

I think Rowan is hoping that at least some of his controversial colleagues will die of boredom over the period.

It is a conference designed to ensure that the media have nothing to write about. Which might have been a good idea, where it not for the fact that with the Africans boycotting and dear Gene turning up in Canterbury uninvited, they really do have plenty of copy without the Archbishop doing anything.

Which he wont.

Dave Walker, the church times’ man with the crayons, is liveblogging the whole deal. With cartoons. (And pictures of his tent).

Filed under: In the news...   |  
Tags: anglican church, Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Caterbury, Canterbury, GAFCON, Gene Robinson, Global Anglican Future Conference, Lambeth Conference, Rowan Williams, Women Bishops