The problems posed by the American church are not going to remain in North America. This means that the rest of the Anglican world must be active in teaching the biblical faith as endorsed by Lambeth 1998. Many, including bishops in England, have questioned whether Lambeth will be able to deal adequately with these urgent issues.<\/p>\n
Some have said to me: isn’t it better to be there than stay away? I respect those who hold that view but it is not as simple as that. Several African provinces have indicated that they will not be attending, because to do so would be to acquiesce with the North American actions. They are not ending the Anglican communion, or even dividing it. They are simply dealing with the reality that the nature of the communion has now been altered and reflecting that Lambeth is not as crucial to the future as it once was.<\/p>\n
They see that since the American actions were taken in direct defiance of the previous Lambeth Conference, the Americans have irreparably damaged the standing of the conference itself. They asked without success for it to be postponed. As in family life, it is sometimes better to delay a meeting to allow time for greater clarity. They do not think that this conference is what is needed now. To attend would be to overlook the importance of the issues at stake.<\/p>\n
After much thought, I agreed with this approach. Yet people, the media included, should not jump to wrong conclusions. We are not alone in this. Some of the largest Anglican communities in the world have taken the same decision. This is not a discourtesy to the Archbishop of Canterbury. I have assured him of our prayers as we continue in the Anglican communion and I am sure he understands our situation.<\/p>\n