The Lead

An unconfirmed leak published today on the internet suggests that when invitations go out later this year for the 2008 Lambeth Conference, all Bishops in the Anglican Communion will be invited.

Ruth Gledhill, who writes "Articles of Faith" for Times OnLine wrote "a well-informed source who indicated to me a few weeks back that everyone, including Gene Robinson and those who consecrated him, was to be invited. "

The Lambeth Conference Official Website says on its FAQ page only that invitations will be mailed later in 2007, and "Those attending the Lambeth Conference are bishops and archbishops of the Anglican Communion, and those in communion with the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury invites the participants to the conference." No other criteria is spelled out.

Much of Gledhill's blog is devoted to strange speculations about another possible invitation, and that is whether or not Mark Andrew, Bishop Gene Robinson's partner, would be invited as well. How this speculation is written, and the pictures chosen to accompany the post, seem to be intended to stir up outrage from those quarters who would wish for Bishop Robinson, if not the rest of the Episcopal Church, to be excluded from the conference.

At the same time, if Ms. Gledhill's "deep purple" (as she calls it) source is correct, this would prove to be a significant development.

Comments (3)

I wouldn't hold my breath about this. Ruth Gledhill is perhaps not the most reliable source in the world. However, I posted this on my blog as a rumor -- because it seems to be a logical choice.

Not long ago, I heard directly from a senior person with some responsibility for Lambeth Conference planning, who said that there were two options on the table. One option is only "Windsor compliant" bishops, which would exclude both Gene Robinson and Peter Akinola. The other option is to invite all bishops. Perhaps it's my own bias at work, but the second option seems more logical -- and more Anglican. Is it not better to keep everyone in conversation? If the invitations are issued to all, then obviously everyone gets to make a choice about whether they'll stay in conversation.

Let's hope Ruth Gledhill and all the rumor sources have this one right.

Posted by Scott Gunn | May 14, 2007 5:21 PM

You know, even the rumor may have consequences. Ms. Gledhill has been seen as a trustworthy source, and as having good contacts, both in the C of E, and on the more evangelical side. It would be interesting to see if anyone acts precipitously based on this (or, perhaps, anyone besides Archbishop Akinola, who has, arguably, acted precipitously for his own reasons).

Marshall Scott

Posted by mscottsail | May 14, 2007 5:23 PM

Ms. Gledhill makes at least one characteristic error of fact when she refers to the expected civil partnership of Bp. Gene and Mark Andrew as making them "civil partners in US law," when there ain't no such thing and won't be by next summer neither.

That aside, the idea of inviting all bishops (even CANA bishops, since they are part of Nigeria) without exception seems like the best option and I hope it happens.

Allen Mellen

Posted by Allen Mellen | May 14, 2007 8:16 PM

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