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Lambeth Conference highlight evangelism to youth, urban centers

ACNS LC089 - 5 August 1998

Canterbury

by Lisa Barrowclough and Doug Tindal
Lambeth Conference Communications

The Lambeth Conference, meeting in plenary session Wednesday, committed
itself to a continued emphasis on evangelism, with special attention to
cities and youth.

Bishop Rowan Williams, chair of Section Two (Called to Live and Proclaim
Good News), which proposed the evangelism resolutions that were adopted,
delivered a gentle rebuke to the media's near-exclusive focus on
homosexuality in coverage of the Lambeth Conference at a press conference
before the plenary. Mission, he pointed out, is still at the heart of the
church's "business."

Acknowledging that the afternoon's plenary on sexuality was overshadowing
the morning's business, Bishop Williams said, "If, on the eve of the Battle
of Waterloo, a lecture had been scheduled in Brussels on the subject of
raising sprouts, I could understand that attendance might be sparse," he
began, to general laughter from the assembled journalists.

"While I recognize that I'm in a position something like that, I'm going to
proceed on the theory that a farmer in the business of raising sprouts would
still be interested," he continued. "Our business as a church is still very
much with the work of Section Two, living and proclaiming the good news we
have been given."

Bishop Williams stressed that the section's report and resolutions are
grounded in an understanding of God, who "has spoken to us and challenged us
. . . . To speak of mission is necessarily to speak first of the nature of
God."

A concern for globalisation
He said the section had struggled to understand and respond to the
"disturbing and often tragic development we call globalisation," and drew
attention to three aspects.

The forces of globalisation render it "more and more imperative that we are
resolute in sharing resources" among the members of the Communion, he said,
including not only a transfer of resources from the so-called 'haves' to
'have-nots,' but also a willingness to receive and learn from each other.

The "globalisation of information" has enormous implications for such areas
as inter-faith relations, he said. The fact that Christians and Muslims in
all parts of the world have instant access to information which affects
them, "means that a matter of Christian-Muslin relations is never simply a
local matter, whether in Birmingham or Khartoum."

And the global trend to urbanization means that "we are all urban churches
now." The Communion needs to develop an urban ministry network, both to
share experiences of working in cities, and to stimulate reflection about
the impact of cities on the whole society, he said.

A commitment to evangelism
Work on Section Two materials began in the plenary session Tuesday
afternoon, when the Conference adopted a resolution on "future priorities in
mission" (II.6). The resolution expresses the conference's determination
that the church should not lose the impetus experienced so far in the Decade
of Evangelism. According to the resolution, the church should give priority
to "reaching out to those who have never heard, or never responded to the
gospel of Christ, and to reawakening those whose love has grown cold." The
conference also commits itself to call people "to be a transforming church
by practising Jubilee," and to transform all dioceses "into communities that
share fully . . . in the mission of God."

In one subsection of the resolution, the conference identified the task of
"every bishop, diocese and congregation to share in and show the love of God
in Jesus Christ-by worship, by the proclamation to everyone of the gospel of
salvation through Christ, through the announcing of good news to the poor
and the continuing effort to witness to God's Kingdom and God's justice in
act and word."

Bishop Christopher Mayfield of Manchester (England) proposed a successful
amendment to add language emphasizing the importance of pursuing mission
with "Christians of all traditions." He reminded the other bishops that "one
of the ways God helps us to recognize his call to be one, is by doing as
much as we can with Christians of other traditions."

Continuing the work
Wednesday morning's plenary continued consideration of the Section Two
resolutions. The conference adopted Resolution II.7, which calls the
churches to look at the processes of urbanisation around the world and to
challenge "all that destroys our full humanity," while welcoming the
socially excluded and poor.  The conference also resolved to "support the
establishment of a 'Faith in an Urban World' Commission."

Bishop Roger Sainsbury of Chelmsford (England) proposed a successful
amendment to encourage the Anglican Consultative Council to support
establishing an Anglican Urban Network. Bishop Sainsbury said he believes
that "the Spirit appears to be saying to the Anglican Communion that urban
mission is a priority."

Considering young people
The conference also adopted the resolution on "young people" (II.8) which
"recognises and celebrates the dynamic work of God among young people" and
urges that all bishops commit themselves to ministry with youth and
children.  The resolution also commends particular attention to the worship
of the church, in order that young people "may find a spiritual home in the
Anglican tradition."

Bishop Peter John Lee of the Diocese of Christ the King (Southern Africa)
proposed a successful amendment which he put forth on behalf of the entire
section in order to "tidy up" the resolution. The amendment addressed the
issue of worship forms, and included the element of silence which "young
people find helpful, as well as music."

Bishop Ben Kwashi of Jos (Nigeria) proposed one addition to the text,
pointing to the importance of specific reference to the "Anglican" Church so
that the bishops will take full responsibility for their young people.

"Agreed list" resolutions approved
Also Tuesday afternoon, the Conference approved without debate four
resolutions from Section Two stating that the Lambeth Conference:

* Believes that all mission springs from the action and self-revelation of
God in Jesus Christ.  Therefore the conference resolves to reaffirm the
faith of the Nicene Creed and to accept the imperative call to mission and
evangelism which is grounded in the nature of God.  (II.1)
* Acknowledges gratefully the contribution of many individuals and agencies
in supporting the work of the Decade of Evangelism (particularly the Church
of Nigeria).  The conference requests that the Joint Standing Committee of
the Primates' Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council consider how the
budget and staffing of the Communion's official networks might reflect the
priorities of mission and evangelism, and requests that the MISSIO study
further the most efficient and effective ways for the Communion to extend
mission and evangelism (e.g. through a mission and evangelism secretary).
Finally, the conference considers that regional networks and relationships
should be reinforced and encouraged and their work should be fully
publicised.  (II.2)
* Believes that dioceses should be encouraged to take initiatives in sharing
information beyond the existing structures. The conference believes that
companion relationships between dioceses across provincial boundaries
develop the cross-cultural nature of the communion, and resolves that each
diocese of the Communion should, by the time of the next Lambeth Conference,
have made a serious effort to identify one or more dioceses as companions.
(II.3)
* Views with concern the tendency in nations with substantial or majority
Islamic populations to seek to enforce a legal code which encourages
discrimination against, or harassment of, non-Muslim communities.  The
bishops request the governments of such nations to affirm their commitment
to religious liberty, and pledge themselves to support the civil and
religious liberties of Muslims while combating prejudice and ignorance about
Islam among Christians and others.  (II.4)

(One resolution (II.5) drafted by this section was not moved because a
similar resolution will be considered later.)