Global South Attendance at Lambeth Conference Doubtful

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=3367

[The Living Church] 23 May 2007--The participation by the Nigerian House of Bishops and bishops from other “Global South” Anglican provinces is doubtful, according to the Most Rev. Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria, who released a brief statement following news that invitations to the 2008 Lambeth Conference of Bishops have been issued.

The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, formerly rector of Truro Church in Fairfax, Va., and now a missionary bishop of the Church of Nigeria, was one of a handful of bishops (along with the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire) who did not receive an invitation to the Lambeth Conference, according to a statement distributed at a press conference in London May 22 by the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Consultative Council, and Tim Livesey, public affairs officer for the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The invitation letter sent by Archbishop Williams noted that additional guest and ecumenical invitations will be forthcoming, and that some invitations may be withdrawn to “bishops whose appointment, actions or manner of life have caused exceptionally serious division or scandal within the Communion.”

“The withholding of invitation to a Nigerian bishop, elected and consecrated by other Nigerian bishops, will be viewed as withholding of invitation to the entire House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria,” Archbishop Akinola stated.