Updated Thursday evening
As reported in the Church England Newspaper (weekly edition) “a group of evangelical English bishops in the Church of England” has written “an open letter to the Archbishops of Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone” urging “those Primates threatening to boycott this year’s Lambeth Conference to attend the 10-yearly meeting.”
From the letter: “We long to share with you in fellowship and in celebration at Lambeth and, beyond that, we look to sharing with you in our common calling to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord throughout the world.”
The letter was signed by,
David James (Bishop of Bradford), Mike Hill (Bristol), Graham Dow (Carlisle), Tom Wright (Durham), Jonathan Gledhill (Lichfield), John Pritchard (Oxford), George Cassidy (Southwell), David Hawkins (Barking), Richard Inwood (Bedford), Bob Evens (Crediton), Nick Baines (Croydon), Cyril Ashton (Doncaster), Clive Young (Dunwich), Geoffrey Pearson (Lancaster), James Langstaff (Lynn), Graham Cray (Maidstone), James Newcombe (Penrith), Paul Butler (Southampton), Lee Rayfield (Swindon), John Went (Tewkesbury)
The entire article can be read here via Anglican Mainstream.
The letter follows a widely read op-ed by Bishop Tom Wright in last week’s Church Times in which he wrote “evangelicals are not about to jump ship” and,
Despite official denials, GAFCON will appear to many to be an alternative to the Lambeth Conference. Some who want to go to Lambeth are under primatial pressure not to do so, and to go to GAFCON instead. Even those free to choose may find two trips beyond their limited means.
As if in answer the op-ed and the open letter, Archbishop Akinola yesterday held a press conference on GAFCON in which he said,
Uganda, Rwanda, Sydney, Nigeria: we are not going to Lambeth conference. What is the use of the Lambeth conference for a three weeks’ jamboree which will sweep these issues under the carpet. GAFCON will confer about the future of the church, which will set a road map for the future. We are a movement that will move away from the “maybe – maybe not”.
Thursday evening update
The Church Times has a report on the open letter.