by Lisa Barrowclough and Doug Tindal
Lambeth Conference Communications

The Lambeth Conference, meeting in plenary session Wednesday, committed itself to a continued emphasis on evangelism, with special attention to cities and youth.

Bishop Rowan Williams, chair of Section Two (Called to Live and Proclaim Good News), which proposed the evangelism resolutions that were adopted, delivered a gentle rebuke to the media's near-exclusive focus on homosexuality in coverage of the Lambeth Conference at a press conference before the plenary. Mission, he pointed out, is still at the heart of the church's "business."

Acknowledging that the afternoon's plenary on sexuality was overshadowing the morning's business, Bishop Williams said, "If, on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, a lecture had been scheduled in Brussels on the subject of raising sprouts, I could understand that attendance might be sparse," he began, to general laughter from the assembled journalists. 

"While I recognize that I'm in a position something like that, I'm going to proceed on the theory that a farmer in the business of raising sprouts would still be interested," he continued. "Our business as a church is still very much with the work of Section Two, living and proclaiming the good news we have been given."

Bishop Williams stressed that the section's report and resolutions are grounded in an understanding of God, who "has spoken to us and challenged us . . . . To speak of mission is necessarily to speak first of the nature of God."

A concern for globalisation

He said the section had struggled to understand and respond to the "disturbing and often tragic development we call globalisation," and drew attention to three aspects.

The forces of globalisation render it "more and more imperative that we are resolute in sharing resources" among the members of the Communion, he said, including not only a transfer of resources from the so-called 'haves' to 'have-nots,' but also a willingness to receive and learn from each other. 

The "globalisation of information" has enormous implications for such areas as inter-faith relations, he said. The fact that Christians and Muslims in all parts of the world have instant access to information which affects them, "means that a matter of Christian-Muslin relations is never simply a local matter, whether in Birmingham or Khartoum." 

And the global trend to urbanization means that "we are all urban churches now." The Communion needs to develop an urban ministry network, both to share experiences of working in cities, and to stimulate reflection about the impact of cities on the whole society, he said.

A commitment to evangelism

Work on Section Two materials began in the plenary session Tuesday afternoon, when the Conference adopted a resolution on "future priorities in mission" (II.6). The resolution expresses the conference's determination that the church should not lose the impetus experienced so far in the Decade of Evangelism. According to the resolution, the church should give priority to "reaching out to those who have never heard, or never responded to the gospel of Christ, and to reawakening those whose love has grown cold." The conference also commits itself to call people "to be a transforming church by practising Jubilee," and to transform all dioceses "into communities that share fully . . . in the mission of God."

In one subsection of the resolution, the conference identified the task of "every bishop, diocese and congregation to share in and show the love of God in Jesus Christ-by worship, by the proclamation to everyone of the gospel of salvation through Christ, through the announcing of good news to the poor and the continuing effort to witness to God's Kingdom and God's justice in act and word."

Bishop Christopher Mayfield of Manchester (England) proposed a successful amendment to add language emphasizing the importance of pursuing mission with "Christians of all traditions." He reminded the other bishops that "one of the ways God helps us to recognize his call to be one, is by doing as much as we can with Christians of other traditions."

Continuing the work

Wednesday morning's plenary continued consideration of the Section Two resolutions. The conference adopted Resolution II.7, which calls the churches to look at the processes of urbanisation around the world and to challenge "all that destroys our full humanity," while welcoming the socially excluded and poor. The conference also resolved to "support the establishment of a 'Faith in an Urban World' Commission."

Bishop Roger Sainsbury of Chelmsford (England) proposed a successful amendment to encourage the Anglican Consultative Council to support establishing an Anglican Urban Network. Bishop Sainsbury said he believes that "the Spirit appears to be saying to the Anglican Communion that urban mission is a priority." 

Considering young people

The conference also adopted the resolution on "young people" (II.8) which "recognises and celebrates the dynamic work of God among young people" and urges that all bishops commit themselves to ministry with youth and children. The resolution also commends particular attention to the worship of the church, in order that young people "may find a spiritual home in the Anglican tradition."

Bishop Peter John Lee of the Diocese of Christ the King (Southern Africa) proposed a successful amendment which he put forth on behalf of the entire section in order to "tidy up" the resolution. The amendment addressed the issue of worship forms, and included the element of silence which "young people find helpful, as well as music."

Bishop Ben Kwashi of Jos (Nigeria) proposed one addition to the text, pointing to the importance of specific reference to the "Anglican" Church so that the bishops will take full responsibility for their young people. 

"Agreed list" resolutions approved
Also Tuesday afternoon, the Conference approved without debate four resolutions from Section Two stating that the Lambeth Conference:

• Believes that all mission springs from the action and self-revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Therefore the conference resolves to reaffirm the faith of the Nicene Creed and to accept the imperative call to mission and evangelism which is grounded in the nature of God. (II.1)
• Acknowledges gratefully the contribution of many individuals and agencies in supporting the work of the Decade of Evangelism (particularly the Church of Nigeria). The conference requests that the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates' Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council consider how the budget and staffing of the Communion's official networks might reflect the priorities of mission and evangelism, and requests that the MISSIO study further the most efficient and effective ways for the Communion to extend mission and evangelism (e.g. through a mission and evangelism secretary). Finally, the conference considers that regional networks and relationships should be reinforced and encouraged and their work should be fully publicised. (II.2)
• Believes that dioceses should be encouraged to take initiatives in sharing information beyond the existing structures. The conference believes that companion relationships between dioceses across provincial boundaries develop the cross-cultural nature of the communion, and resolves that each diocese of the Communion should, by the time of the next Lambeth Conference, have made a serious effort to identify one or more dioceses as companions. (II.3)
• Views with concern the tendency in nations with substantial or majority Islamic populations to seek to enforce a legal code which encourages discrimination against, or harassment of, non-Muslim communities. The bishops request the governments of such nations to affirm their commitment to religious liberty, and pledge themselves to support the civil and religious liberties of Muslims while combating prejudice and ignorance about Islam among Christians and others. (II.4)

(One resolution (II.5) drafted by this section was not moved because a similar resolution will be considered later.)