The Anglican Communion: Ecumenical Affairs and Studies

Lambeth Commission on Communion
Statement

9th-13th February 2004

The first plenary session of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Commission on Communion met from 9th - 13th February, 2004, at St George's House, Windsor, under the chairmanship of Archbishop Robin Eames, the Primate of All Ireland. The Commission received its mandate from the Archbishop of Canterbury following the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in Lambeth Palace, London, in October 2003. It is in reference to that meeting that the Commission has adopted the short name "The Lambeth Commission". It has been asked to look at ways of maintaining the highest degree of communion possible in the light of developments in the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Diocese of New Westminster, Canada.

The session began with a short Rite of Commissioning conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a charge from Archbishop Rowan Williams, and a meditation and opening remarks from Archbishop Robin Eames. At this first meeting the Commission saw its priority as ascertaining an accurate picture of the situation in the Anglican Communion, and reviewed the findings of previous and current commissions which have tackled the issue of communion as an aspect of Anglican life, the Eames Commission (1988-1993), the Virginia Report of the Inter Anglican Doctrinal Commission (1994-1998) and the current work of the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission (1999-present).

The Commission received presentations from Dr Mary Tanner (former Moderator of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches), Dr Paul Avis (General Secretary for the Church of England Council for Christian Unity), Professor Stephen Sykes (Chairman of the Inter Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission) and Dr Chris Sugden (Director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies), who offered papers on "Decision Making Processes in the Anglican Communion", "Anglican Conciliarity: History, Theology and Practice", "The Recent work of the IATDC", and "What is the Anglican Communion for?".

In line with the Commission's commitment to operating in an open way, these presentations, and other papers and information, will be released shortly on the Commission's website: www.anglicancommunion.org/ecumenical/commissions/primates/index.cfm Details can also be found on this site on how submissions to the Commission may be forwarded for their consideration.

The Commission is saddened that tensions within the Communion, exacerbated by the use of strident language, have continued to rise in recent months. In addition, there has been the declaration from significant numbers of Anglican Provinces of impaired or broken communion with the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Diocese of New Westminster, Canada. Although representing a broad range of opinion across the Communion, the Commission members are united in their commitment to preserving the unity of the Anglican Communion, and to finding a way forward.

The Commission requests all members of the Anglican Communion to refrain from any precipitate action, or legal proceedings, which would further harm "the bonds of communion" in the period whilst it completes its work. Mission and ministry, including prayer for unity, remain the priorities.

The Commission has identified five themes for its ongoing work:

• issues of process in the Anglican Communion,
• the nature and purposes of communion,
• the obligations of communion,
• authority, and
• the role of the instruments of unity in preserving fellowship.

The Commission is grateful for the hospitality offered by Saint George's College, Windsor, and looks forward to its next plenary meeting in June, which will be held in the United States.

The members of the Commission are:

• Archbishop Robin Eames Primate of All Ireland, (Chairman)
• The Revd Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan Director of Faith, Worship and Ministry, the Anglican Church of Canada
• Bishop David Beetge Dean of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa
• Professor Norman Doe Director of the Centre for Law and Religion, Cardiff University, Wales
• Bishop Mark Dyer Director of Spiritual Formation, Virginia Theological Seminary, USA
• Archbishop Drexel Gomez, Primate of the West Indies
• Archbishop Josiah Iduwo-Fearon Archbishop of Kaduna, the Anglican Church of Nigeria
• The Revd Dorothy Lau Director of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council
• Ms Anne McGavin, Advocate formerly Legal Adviser to the College of Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church
• Archbishop Bernard Malango Primate of Central Africa
• Dr Esther Mombo Academic Dean of St Paul's United Theological Seminary, Limuru, Kenya
• Archbishop Barry Morgan Primate of Wales, (not able to be present on this occasion)
• Chancellor Rubie Nottage, Chancellor of the Province of the West Indies
• Bishop John Paterson Primate of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, and Chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council
• Dr Jenny Te Paa Principal of College of Saint John the Evangelist, Auckland, New Zealand
• Bishop James Terom Moderator, the Church of North India
• Bishop N Thomas Wright Bishop of Durham, the Church of England
• Canon John Rees Legal Adviser to the Anglican Consultative Council (Legal Consultant)
• Canon Gregory K Cameron Director of Ecumenical Affairs, Anglican Communion Office (Secretary)