At the same time, Williams told the Lambeth Conference of bishops that the world Anglican grouping needs a formal structure to give clear guidance on what would be “a grave and lasting divisive course of action” by one of the world’s Anglican churches.
“At the moment, we seem often to be threatening death to each other, not offering life,” Williams said on July 29 in his second presidential address to the 650 Anglican bishops at the conference, which opened on July 16 and ends on August 3. It is held once every 10 years,
Williams’ call came as the bishops were preparing to begin the final five days of the meeting during which they will discuss the thorny issue of sexuality in the church.
About 230 bishops are reported to be boycotting the gathering because of the presence of leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church, which in 2003 consecrated a non-celibate gay man as a bishop. Some of the other bishops present at the Lambeth Conference have also said they reject the action of the U.S. church.
“What some see as confused or reckless innovation in some provinces [of Anglican churches] is felt as a body-blow to the integrity of mission and a matter of literal physical risk to Christians,” Williams said. “The reaction to this is in turn felt as an annihilating judgment on a whole local church, undermining its legitimacy and pouring scorn on its witness.”
In advance of Williams’ address, some observers had predicted it would likely mark a “turning point” in the two-and-a-half week conference. Bishops who attended the address, which was not open to media, said it had been received in silence.
The archbishop said that if churches were “to speak life to each other,” then changes would be necessary in the 77-million-strong Anglican Communion. These included, he said, a set of ground rules called a “covenant” for its member churches, “a covenant that recognizes the need to grow towards each other, and also recognizes that not all may chose that way.
“I find it hard at present to see another way forward that would avoid further disintegration.”
The archbishop’s address followed a three-day retreat by the bishops at the beginning of the meeting, and almost 10 days of discussions in groups named after the Zulu word for an important but small gathering, an indaba.
Williams gave a detailed account of how he thought each side would want to have been heard in the discussions, and he challenged each group to take a “generous initiative” to move forward towards the other party.
“To the innovator, can we say, ‘Don’t isolate yourself; don’t create facts on the ground that make the invitation to debate ring a bit hollow’? Can we say to the traditionalist, ‘Don’t invest everything in a church of pure and likeminded souls; try to understand the pastoral and human and theological issues that are urgent for those you are opposing, even if you think them deeply wrong’’”
