Canterbury
by David Skidmore
Lambeth Conference Communications
Over 600 bishops' spouses gathered for the opening service for the Spouses' Programme on the evening of July 19. The spouses were welcomed by Eileen Carey, wife of Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, who stressed the planners' hope that the spouses find the conference to be an opportunity for fellowship and for deepening their faith commitments.
"I pray that each one of us will find that our Christian commitment is deepened by the experience of being together and sharing with one another," said Mrs. Carey. The spouses' programme, featuring four plenary sessions, daily Bible study groups and a series of workshops, seminars and presentations, is intended "as a gift from God," she said, adding that "those of us who have planned the programme present it as a gift to you."
Study topics cover range of concerns
Among the topics to be covered are health and social issues, mission and evangelism, spirituality, poverty and environmental concerns, parenting, marriage, children at risk, and coping with stress. Presenters include Dr. Jean F. O'Barr, director of Women's Studies at Duke University, North Carolina, who will lead a dialogue on "Women in Leadership" July 23; Archbishop David Gitari of Kenya who will speak on "A Christian Challenge Towards a Healthy Future;" Archbishop Carey, who will speak on the Vocation of the Anglican Communion in the 21st Century July 27; and Susan Howatch, author of the acclaimed series of novels dealing with the Church of England, who will speak on "Harassed Heroines and Healing Centers" August 4.
Other offerings include a musical presentation, "Crowning Glory," written and produced by Veronica Bennetts, wife of Bishop Colin Bennetts of the Diocese of Coventry in the Church of England. The musical, which will feature bishops' spouses singing in chorus, performing mime and dancing, will be staged August 6 for the Feast of the Transfiguration.
Mrs. Carey stressed that the programme is meant to be flexible. Spouses should feel free to attend only the events and activities which interest them. "Make space for yourself and attend what you feel is right for you," she said, but also encouraged the spouses to take advantage of the Bible study sessions. Like the bishops, the spouses will be working through all of the book of II Corinthians during the course of the three-week Lambeth Conference.
Mrs. Carey also made a special point of welcoming the five male spouses from the United States and New Zealand attending the conference: David Dixon, husband of Bishop Suffragan Jane Dixon of Washington D.C.; Ian Jamieson, husband of Bishop Penelope Jamieson of Dunedin, New Zealand; the Rev. Mac McLeod, husband of Bishop Mary Adelia McLeod of Vermont; Dr. Philip Roskam, husband of Bishop Suffragan Catherine Roskam of New York; and Larry Waynick, husband of Bishop Catherine Waynick of Indianapolis. Dr. Jamieson is among the spouses speaking on "The Role of the Bishop's Spouse" today, one of four main presentations of the spouses' programme.
Also speaking at the opening event were Sally Sargent, chair of the spouses' programme planning group and wife of Bishop Frank Sargent of Canterbury; site coordinator Jo Cundy, wife of Bishop Ian Cundy of the Diocese of Peterborough in the Church of England; Lady Christine Eames, president of the Mothers' Union; and the Rev. Susan Bailey, chaplain to the spouses.
Events will reflect Communion's diversity
Like the liturgies planned for the bishops, the Morning and Evening Prayer services for the spouses will reflect the communion's cultural and linguistic diversity, said Mrs. Bailey. The vision of Bishop Roger Herft, the conference chaplain, is "that Lambeth 1998 will be a community that includes everyone appropriately," she said.
The worship portion of the spouses' opening event stressed inclusiveness with a prayer for the conference read in seven languages (French, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili, Arabic, and English); the Gospel proclaimed in Swahili; and intercessory prayers read by the spouses of three primates: Cynthia Tay of Southeast Asia; Olga Lindsay of the West Indies; and Phoebe Griswold of the United States. Solos also were sung in Bengali and Spanish.
Benita Rumalshah of the Diocese of Peshawar, Pakistan, encouraged the spouses to imagine themselves as a stick of incense consumed by the fire of faith. The song "Life Burnt for Jesus," composed for the 1948 Lambeth by Dr. Nirode K. Biswas, bishop of Assam, was sung by Rumalshah in Bengalese without accompaniment. Iris Heinze de Axt, wife of Bishop Humberto Axt of Argentina, led the spouses in the closing song "Santo, Santo, Santo" (Holy, Holy, Holy) which was sung in English and Spanish. The spouses also enjoyed a preview of some of the songs that will be featured in the "Crowning Glory" revue Aug. 6.
In keeping with the theme of hospitality and community, the spouses' programme has been housed in a miniature tent city perched on platforms between Rutherford and Eliot Colleges. Known as the Spouses Village, the canvas hamlet consists of a single large tent on the east end of the platform for plenary sessions, with a cluster of interconnected smaller tents for Bible study groups and workshops and extending off of it. An open deck on the platform's west end affords spouses with one of the best views of Canterbury Cathedral.
With attached portable kitchens and toilet facilities, the village is virtually self-sufficient. The only thing in short supply is ventilation, which proved obvious at the opening event held on the hottest day so far of the conference. The temperature, which hit 26 (79oF), forced the planners to cut short the programme.