The Primates have responded to a letter from 21 English bishops who wrote to them earlier this month urging them to attend this year’s summer conference in Canterbury.
The five Primates - the Archbishop of Nigeria, the Most Rev Peter Akinola, the Archbishop of Rwanda, the Most Rev Emmanuel Kolini, the Archbishop of Kenya, the Most Rev Benjamin Nzimbi, the Archbishop of Uganda, the Most Rev Henry Orombi, and the Archbishop of the Southern Cone, the Most Rev Gregory Venables - stress they share the English bishops’ commitment to the future of the Anglican Communion, and their action is not a sign they will ultimately leave the Church.
They explain they will not attend as the consecrators of an openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church (TEC) of America will be in attendance, an action of which ‘they have not repented’.
They add that to attend Lambeth would be an ‘assault on our consciences’, as many American congregations they are now overseeing in new episcopal arrangements are being sued for their properties by TEC.
They write: “How can we explain to our church members, that while we and they are formally out of communion with TEC, and provide oversight to these orthodox colleagues, we at the same time live with them at the Lambeth Conference as though nothing had happened? This would be hypocrisy.”
The Primates complain that the invitation list ‘reflects a great imbalance’ by excluding many bishops from their provinces, and add they would not feel comfortable attending the Conference due to the intense press interest and the presence of Bishop Gene Robinson and his partner, as well as 30 gay activists.
They believe they would not have the opportunity to air their grievances at the Conference.
They write: “We have come to the conclusion, from the failure of the instruments of the Communion to take action either to discipline the Episcopal Church or to protect those who have asked the Communion for protection, that there is no serious space for those of an orthodox persuasion in the councils of the Communion to be themselves or to be taken seriously. “We are therefore not persuaded by your arguments to attend. We have looked at all the facts for some time.
“To find a solution we have proposed the postponement of the conference, the calling of a Primates’ meeting and work towards the conclusion and endorsement of the Anglican Covenant by individual provinces. Our request has not been heeded. We must attend to the care of our bishops, clergy and people.”
They comment on the Anglican Communion Covenant which is being drawn up in an effort to hold the Communion together, but say the revised version does not engage with the current difficulties in the worldwide Church.
They urge the English bishops to come to the Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) they will be attending in Jerusalem in June.
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