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May 23rd, 2007

Lambeth conference invitations

lambeth invitations

Archbishop Rowan has sent out the invitations for the Lambeth Conference. It is looking like there is going to be a Lambeth Conference, which is good, because I did a sort of a drawing of it on my 2008 calendar which is not available yet but will be soon (Did you notice that plug? I tried to blend it in).

Archbishop Rowan has decided who is in and who is out, but this is not a final list, the main reason being that the Archbishop is known for his postal problems. I would estimate that about 5 to 7 percent of the bishops will not attend simply because they did not get the invitation. Especially the far flung ones, who might not even know that there is a Lambeth conference at all.

The two bishops that everyone is saying have not been invited are Bishop Robinson (who said this) and Bishop Minns (who said this). Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria is unhappy and has said that he might not be bringing a coachload of his bishops.

There has been loads written about this (mostly grumpy) on all the anglican blogs – I don’t have time to talk about it now as I am going to Basildon.

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16 Responses to “Lambeth conference invitations”


  1. David Keen says:

    Less bishops flying to Lambeth = less global warming, so its great that the Nigerians are taking the ecological threat so seriously. Though if they come by coach that’ll be better, but expect them to be grouchy when they arrive.

    May 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 pm
  2. Simon Heron says:

    I’d always thought the correct way to address an Archbishop was ‘Archbishop’ rather than ‘my Lord’. Of course Rowan, Rowee, or ‘Big R’ are always options, but not I imagine if you want to keep your job on the flower rota.

    May 23rd, 2007 at 12:25 pm
  3. Kathryn says:

    “There has been loads written about this (mostly grumpy) on all the anglican blogs – I don’t have time to talk about it now as I am going to Basildon.”

    That, Dave, is a truly beautiful sentence, which warms the cockles of my heart…Proportion in all things! Hooray :-)

    May 23rd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
  4. Alec Corio says:

    Marvellous cartoon, Dave.

    The question I was pondering is this: if Rowan Williams could travel back in time and kill/adopt/reform Peter Akinola, would he do so? Probably, I think. And as ABC he’s more than likely to have such powers.

    May 23rd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
  5. Ann says:

    Wonky legs – bishops behaving badly – the louts.

    May 23rd, 2007 at 2:01 pm
  6. Raspberry Rabbit says:

    David Keen wrote

    “Less bishops flying to Lambeth = less global warming…..”

    Fewer bishops even…. Jeez!

    May 23rd, 2007 at 2:17 pm
  7. Aaron Orear says:

    I like that the ABC is wearing his mitre to make a decision about seating arrangements…

    ++Akinoying – “If you won’t play my game my way I’m taking my ball and leaving.”

    May 23rd, 2007 at 2:25 pm
  8. thomas bushnell, bsg says:

    but of course, +Rowan isn’t playing favorites because there aren’t enough good chairs at the dinner table.

    he is playing favorites because he thinks that the best way to help everyone get along is to find a few people that the rest can all shun together. i’m told this was common practice in english public schools, but i can’t say since i have no experience of such places.

    he claims that this is, after all, his private party, to which he issues invitations, just him. that transforms his exclusion of +Gene from being an act of craven complicity into being an act of personal bigotry. (hey, +Rowan’s dishonesty is a manner of life which not all can agree with, will he be excluding himself?)

    May 23rd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
  9. David Keen says:

    thomas bushnell, you’ve been watching too many politicians, I don’t think Rowan is as cynical as you think he is. There are a stack of major issues that the bishops need to provide a lead on – poverty, debt, trade, AIDS, environment etc. If large numbers of bishops boycott it because someone else is there who they don’t like, or if it turns into a media circus based on controversial personalities, that will undermine any lead the conference tries to give. I think +Rowan has his eye on the ball.

    May 23rd, 2007 at 9:47 pm
  10. Dennis says:

    David Keen writes: “I think +Rowan has his eye on the ball“.

    AHHHH…. now I know why he picked out such a pretty dress for the event. The Lambeth Ball. I’m sure that it will be a fabulous soirée. The ball of the season, even.

    I’m hoping that our bishops (here in TEC) aren’t that fond of dancing, though.

    May 24th, 2007 at 1:53 am
  11. thomas bushnell, bsg says:

    david: so then he should be honest. “i want to do something about the poor, and i’m willing to sacrifice treating this person with dignity so that i can help those people.” surely if this is a moral stance, he would be happy to say it outright instead of pretending it’s about something else.

    of course, i don’t think it’s an act of personal bigotry, i think it’s an act of craven complicity, and he is not being honest when he says that it’s his party and he’ll invite whoever he wants.

    i think that treating people with dignity is one of the things on the ball, and the archbishop has shown himself unwilling to do that, and he sets a distinctly horrid example for others.

    May 24th, 2007 at 3:19 am
  12. PeterD says:

    Surely the Bishops should walk to Lambeth? (sorry, old music hall reference).

    Thinking about it, if the Bishops had gone for Me and My Gal, there would not be this argument.

    May 24th, 2007 at 10:14 am
  13. Chris Clark says:

    So the rumours of a Lambeth alternative at Basildon are true…:-)

    May 24th, 2007 at 10:18 am
  14. Mother Ruth of Gledhill says:

    I believe the correct way to address an Archbishop is “your Grace.”

    May 24th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
  15. Philip of Samaria says:

    MROG – he needs a lot of that looking after this rowdy bunch

    May 24th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
  16. Pluralist says:

    I thought Rowan Williams’ wife was called Jane. So who are they talking about when they say “Your Grace”? I think we may all need to know, or some of us, or maybe we should have something called ‘don’t ask don’t tell’.

    May 27th, 2007 at 4:20 pm