The Sydney Diocese's Standing Committee has urged Archbishop Peter Jensen and his five regional bishops to make crystal clear Sydney’s protest at Lambeth’s guest list if they decide to accept the Archbishop of Canterbury's invitations to attend next year’s conference of the world’s Anglican leaders.
Standing Committee also requested that Archbishop Jensen and Bishops Forsyth, Davies, Tasker, Lee and Stewart approach other orthodox bishops in the communion with the proposal of meeting in England during the Lambeth conference.
This meeting would allow for "Christian fellowship and the planning of joint action within the Anglican Communion to contend for the faith of the Apostles once delivered to the saints."
Discussion on the international Anglican conference dominated Monday night's Standing Committee meeting, as members acknowledged the weight of the decision in communicating Sydney's position within the already strained Anglican Communion.
The invitations, which were sent personally to Archbishop Jensen and each of Sydney’s five regional bishops in May, have been extended to most bishops in the Episcopal Church, including those who had agreed to or participated in the consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson.
American evangelical Martyn Minns did not receive an invitation, prompting Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria to consider boycotting Lambeth. Uganda's Anglican leaders have already announced they will not be there.
Dissatisfaction and protest
Standing Committee expressed its disappointment with the Archbishop of Canterbury's approach, in its statement, released internationally yesterday.
"Standing Committee therefore respectfully requests the Archbishop of this diocese to communicate to the Archbishop of Canterbury our dissatisfaction at the attempt to maintain union with the unrepentant while continuing to refuse fellowship to faithful and orthodox Anglicans such as the Church of England in South Africa."
The Standing Committee requested that, if Sydney's archbishop and bishops decide to attend the Lambeth Conference, they do so with public "protest, speech and liturgical action", expressing "our diocese's principled objection to the continued participation of those whose actions have expressed a departure from the clear teaching of Scripture".
Longstanding lay member of the Standing Committee, Robert Tong says these discussions, and the decisions that will follow, could mark an important place in Anglican history.
"These resolutions encourage the Archbishop and his assistant bishops to actively engage in questions which are unprecedented in the life of the Anglican Communion.”
Archbishop Williams issued the invitations earlier than expected, and has requested a reply by 23 July.
The Canadian verdict
At the Anglican Church's General Synod meeting in Winnipeg Canada, the Anglican house of bishops has narrowly defeated the motion 21 to 19 to allow the blessing of same-sex unions.
This decision contradicts the clergy and lay delegates results, which were both in favour of the motion. Clergy voted 63 to 53 to allow the blessing, while lay delegates voted 78 to 59 in favour.
The archbishop-elect Fred Hiltz, who was elected as the incoming primate on Friday, voted in favour of the blessing and spoke of a general mood of disappointment after the defeat.
"We have a very divided church, and no doubt many, many people will be disappointed by this vote," said Mr Hiltz, quoted in the Anglican Journal.
