UK bishops to boycott Anglican conference in Lambeth
Sunday, 22 Jun 2008 13:24
Invitations to the Lambeth conference sent by Archbishop Rowan Williams have been turned down
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Leading bishops are set to boycott the Anglican conference in Lambeth this year due to the attendance of clergymen involved in the gay ordination row.
Bishop Michael Nazir Ali, the Bishop of Willesden, Rt Rev Pete Broadbent and the Bishop of Lewes, Rt Rev Wallace Benn, are set to miss the once-a-decade gathering of around 280 bishops from around the world, according to the Telegraph on Sunday.
Conservative–minded bishops are said to be against the decision to invite clergymen involved in the ordination of openly gay bishop Gene Robinson in the US. Thus rather than accepting Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' invitation to the conference they have decided to stay at home.
Bishop Been told the Telegraph: "I'm not going because those who've torn the fabric of the Communion have been invited, and bishops from the missionary groups in America haven't.
"A group of English bishops has been unhappy at the invitation list and that the Archbishop of Canterbury has not called a Primates
Meeting to consult about invitations and respond to the American Church statement on gay clergy," he added.
Meanwhile, a rival Gafcon conference is being organised in Jerusalem with man African members of the church unhappy over the gay priest row promising to attend.
The boycott is being seen as significant as it could lead to further disunity in the English church which has not seen the division experienced in the US on the issue of the ordination of gay priests.