The Telegraph is today covering–as in writing about, not paying for–the shortfall faced by Lambeth organizers now that the £6 million price tag is coming due. The Archbishop’s Council of the Church of England is lending £600,000 of the £1 million that the Lambeth Company urgently needs to raise to cover expenses, including the three-week rental of the University of Kent campus as well as feeding and transporting hundreds of bishops and their spouses.
And while Katharine Jefferts Schori has said that she understands the Archbishop to be expecting the money to come from the Episcopal Church–indeed, expected him to tour the US with the appeal, Lambeth Palace has said no such arrangement has taken place.
The Most Rev Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the USA, said: “Yes we’ve been asked and the bishops of this church responded in ways that would provide bursaries for those unable to attend.
“I believe the Archbishop of Canterbury has expressed a desire to come to the United States and do some fundraising work, and we have certainly offered our assistance in that.”
Lambeth Palace denied that Dr Rowan Williams will travel to America to ask churches for money, despite the Presiding Bishop’s claims.
But the Church of England confirmed that it has had to bail out the Anglican Communion.
A spokesman said: “The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England met on August 7th to discuss an approach from the Lambeth Company for financial help.
“The Company has assured the Council that it is continuing to make further approaches throughout the Anglican Communion to meet the full cost of this year’s Conference.
“It cannot, however, be confident that these will generate funds sufficiently quickly for it to meet all of its obligations as they fall due over the coming weeks and months.
Canon Kenneth Kearon also has a response posted on the Anglican Communion site, here.