wfn.org | 700-plus bishops line-up for 'Rainbow' photograph

["Christopher Took" <storm@indigo.ie>]

ACNS LC033 - 22 July 1998

The only time that all members of the Lambeth Conference can be
seen in-one-place-at-the-one-time, happens today (Wednesday 22
July) when the official conference photograph is taken.

Bishops, lay Anglicans and observers from other churches will
assemble for the group photograph at 4.30pm on the lawn behind
Eliot and Rutherford Colleges.

The bishops' photograph from the last Lambeth conference in 1988
is still the most-requested photograph at the Anglican Communion
Office in London. Ten years later requests for prints are still
being received.

Conference Communications Director Jim Rosenthal admits
organising more than 730 bishops onto scaffolding for the
photograph is a major logistical effort: "The photo has a life of
it own."

"It's certainly worth the effort", Rosenthal said. "The Bishops'
photograph is the tangible proof  that we are in the words of 
Archbishop Desmond Tutu the 'Rainbow People of God."

There are a number of 'firsts' with this event, Rosenthal said.

"It's the largest ever Lambeth conference so the photograph will
include more people than even before", he said.

"There will be women bishops, and for the first time ecumenical
observers will also line-up to be in the picture"

"The lay members of the conference, the members of the Anglican
Consultative Council will also be in the photograph"

For further information, contact:

   Lambeth Conference Communications
   Canterbury Business School
   University of Kent at Canterbury
   Telephone: 01227 827348/9
   Fax: 01227 828085
   Mobile: 0374 800212

   http://www.lambethconference.org