Lambeth Conferences

The Lambeth Conferences are the periodical assemblies of bishops of the Anglican Communion (Pan-Anglican synods), which since 1867 have met at Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Timeline

First Conference (September 24-28, 1867)

• Presided over by: Archbishop Longley
• 76 bishops present

Most of the conferernce was spent discussing the controversial Colenso case. Of the 13 resolutions adopted by the conference, 2 have direct reference to this case. The rest have to do with the creation of new sees and missionary jurisdictions, commendatory letters, and a voluntary spiritual tribunal in cases of doctrine and the due subordination of synods. The reports of the committees were not ready, and were carried forward to the conference of 1878.

Related Topics:
Colenso - See - Missionary - Synod

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Second Conference (July 2-27, 1878)

• Presided over by: Archbishop Tait
• 100 bishops present

The reports of the five special committees (based in part upon those of the committee of 1867) were embodied in the encyclical letter, which described the best mode of maintaining union, voluntary boards of arbitration, missionary bishops and missionaries, and continental chaplains and included the report of a committee on difficulties submitted to the conference.

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Third Conference (July 3-27, 1888)

• Presided over by: Archbishop Benson
• 145 bishops present

The chief subject of consideration was the position of communities which do not possess the historic episcopate. In addition to the encyclical letter, nineteen resolutions were put forth, and the reports of twelve special committees are appended upon which they are based, the subjects being intemperance, purity, divorce, polygamy, observance of Sunday, socialism, care of emigrants, mutual relations of dioceses of the Anglican Communion, home reunion, Scandinavian Church, Old Catholics, etc., Eastern Churches, standards of doctrine and worship. Perhaps the most important of these is the famous "Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral," which laid down a fourfold basis for home reunion: the Holy Scriptures, the Apostles? and Nicene creeds, the two sacraments ordained by Christ himself and the historic episcopate.

Related Topics:
Historic episcopate - Intemperance - Purity - Divorce - Polygamy - Sunday - Socialism - Emigrants - Diocese - Scandinavian Church - Old Catholics - Eastern Church - Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral - Holy Scripture - Apostles - Nicene creed - Sacrament - Christ

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Fourth Conference (July 5-31, 1897)

• Presided over by: Archbishop Temple (having been convened by Archbishop Benson)
• 194 bishops present

One of the chief subjects for consideration was the creation of a tribunal of reference, but the resolutions on this subject were withdrawn due to opposition of the American bishops, and a more general resolution in favour of a "consultative body" was substituted. The encyclical letter is accompanied by sixty-three resolutions (which include careful provision for provincial organization and the extension of, the title archbishop "to all metropolitans, a thankful recognition of the revival of brotherhoods and sisterhoods, and of the office of deaconess," and a desire to promote friendly relations with the Eastern Churches and the various Old Catholic bodies), and the reports of the eleven committees are subjoined.

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Fifth Conference (July 6-August 5, 1908)

• Presided over by: Archbishop Randall Davidson
• 241 bishops present

The chief subjects of discussion were: the relations of faith and modern thought, the supply and training of the clergy, education, foreign missions, revision and "enrichment" of the Book of Common Prayer, the relation of the Church to "ministries of healing" (Christian Science, etc.), the questions of marriage and divorce, organization of the Anglican Church, and reunion with other Churches. The results of the deliberations were embodied in seventy-eight resolutions, which were appended to the encyclical issued, in the name of the conference, by the Archbishop of Canterbury on August 8.

Related Topics:
Faith - Clergy - Education - Book of Common Prayer - Christian Science - Marriage - August 8

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The fifth Lambeth conference, following as it did close on the great Pan-Anglican congress, is remarkable mainly as a proof of the growth of the influence and many-sided activity of the Anglican Church, and as a conspicuous manifestation of her characteristic principles. Of the seventy-eight resolutions none is in any sense epoch-making, and their spirit is that of the traditional Anglican via media. In general they are characterized by a firm adherence to the fundamental articles of Catholic orthodoxy, tempered by a tolerant attitude towards those not of "the household of the faith."

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The report of the committee on faith and modern thought is "a faithful attempt to show how the claim of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Church is set to present to each generation, may, under the characteristic conditions of our time, best command allegiance." On the question of education (Res. I 1-19) the conference reaffirmed strongly the necessity for definite Christian teaching in schools, "secular systems" being condemned as "educationally as well as morally unsound, since they fail to coordinate the training of the whole nature of the child" (Res. II). The resolutions on questions affecting foreign missions (20-26) deal with the overlapping of episcopal jurisdictions (22) and the establishment of Churches on lines of race or colour, which is condemned (20). The resolutions on questions of marriage and divorce (37-43) reaffirm the traditional attitude of the Church; it is, however, interesting to note that the resolution (40) deprecating the remarriage in church of the innocent party to a divorce was carried only by eighty-seven votes to eighty-four. In resolutions 44 to 53 the conference deals with the duty of the Church towards modern democratic ideals and social problems; affirms the responsibility of investors for the character and conditions of the concerns in which their money is placed (49); "while frankly acknowledging the moral gains sometimes won by war" strongly supports the extension of international arbitration (52); and emphasizes the duty of a stricter observance of Sunday (53). On the question of reunion, the ideal of corporate unity was reaffirmed (58). It was decided to send a deputation of bishops with a letter of greeting to the national council of the Russian Church about to be assembled (60) and certain conditions were laid down for interconrnlunion with certain of the Churches of the Orthodox Eastern.

Related Topics:
Democratic - War - International arbitration - Russian Church

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Communion (62) and the "ancient separated Churches of the East" (63-65). Resolution 67 warned Anglicans from contracting marriages, under actual conditions, with Roman Catholics. By resolution 68 the conference stated its desire to "maintain and strengthen the friendly relations" between the Churches of the Anglican Communion and "the ancient Church of Holland" (Jansenist) and the old Catholic Churches; and resolutions 70-73 made elaborate provisions for a projected corporate union between the Anglican Church and the Unitas Fratrum (Moravian Brethren). As to "home reunion," however, it was made perfectly clear that this would only be possible "on lines suggested by such precedents as those of 1610," i.e. by the Presbyterian Churches accepting the episcopal model. So far as the organization of the Anglican Church is concerned, the most important outcome of the conference was the reconstruction of the Central Consultative Body on representative lines (54-56); this body to consist of the archbishop of Canterbury and seventeen bishops appointed by the various Churches of the Anglican Communion throughout the world. A notable feature of the conference was the presence of the Swedish Bishop of Kalmar, who presented a letter from the Archbishop of Uppsala, as a tentative advance towards closer relations between the Anglican Church and the Evangelical Church of Sweden.

Related Topics:
Roman Catholic - Jansenist - Moravian Brethren - Presbyterian Church - Bishop of Kalmar - Archbishop of Uppsala - Evangelical Church of Sweden

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Sixth Conference (1920)

Seventh Conference (1930)

Eighth Conference (1948)

Ninth Conference (1958)

Tenth Conference (1968)

Eleventh Conference (1978)

This conference "recognized the autonomy of each of its member churches...legal right of each Church to make its own decision".

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Twelfth Conference (1988)

• 518 bishops present

This conference decided that "each province respect the decision of other provinces in the ordination or consecration of women to the episcopate."

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Thirteenth Conference (July 18 - August 9, 1998)

• Presided over by: Archbishop George Carey
• 749 bishops present

The most hotly debated issue at this conference was homosexuality in the Anglican Communion. It was finally decided, by a vote of 526-70, that ordaining openly gay clergy was "incompatible with Scripture", a result met with dismay by many members from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.

Related Topics:
Homosexuality in the Anglican Communion - United Kingdom - United States - Canada

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