2022 Resolution #6:
Listening to Lambeth 2022

Status

This proposed resolution has been reviewed by the Committee on Resolutions and is in its final form.  The committee intends to report it to the Convention for its consideration.

Resolved, That the 173rd Convention of the Diocese of California affirms our commitment as a diocese to listen to the global voices of the Church that came together at Lambeth Conference 2022 and to take up the themes and statements of support discussed amongst the bishops present at the Lambeth gathering as part of becoming a more inclusive and diverse beloved community;

Resolved, That we commit as a diocese in a province of the worldwide Anglican Communion to intentionally explore how we can incarnate the distinctive wisdom of Lambeth in our deaneries and parishes; that we explore the themes taken up at Lambeth, including: Mission and Evangelism, Safe Church, Anglican Identity, Reconciliation, Human Dignity, Environmental Sustainability, Christian Unity, Inter-faith Relations, Discipleship, and questions on the relationship between the Sciences and our Faith; and that with the leadership of our Bishop we will reflect on the Lambeth conversations in ways that are both faithful to our distinctive diocesan character and humble in learning from our Christian siblings in other dioceses and provinces;

Resolved, That we invite the whole diocese to listen to the wisdom of the bishops at Lambeth Conference 2022 as reported by our Bishop and made available through the Lambeth print materials and internet resources, both published and forthcoming; that each parish community is encouraged to learn about Lambeth 2022 and engage with the Lambeth themes and episcopal statements of support; that each parish community may do so by making use of materials directly related to Lambeth, including the global Bible study commentary on 1 Peter, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s book The Power of Reconciliation, the Forward Movement collections Listening Together, Witnessing Together, and Walking Together, the Lambeth Conference live streams available on YouTube, and Bishop Marc’s letter of 09 Aug 2022; or materials related to the themes of the Lambeth Conference that reasonably carry forward the global conversation; and that each parish community is encouraged to share with their deanery in the coming year ways they have listened to Lambeth and are integrating its voices into their parish practice; and

Resolved, That, as members of the Body of Christ, living by the one Spirit in the one hope, called to one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father and Mother of all, and sharing together the one loaf and the one cup (Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 10:16-17), we faithfully seek to nurture our ties and commitments to the Anglican Communion from within our Episcopal diocese through learning, relationships, and mission.

​​Explanation:

We are Episcopalians because we believe the Church is simultaneously local and global. For the first time in 14 years, the worldwide Anglican Communion gathered its bishops at Lambeth for prayer, worship, and reflection on the issues facing the Communion. It was the most representative Lambeth yet, with more than 70 women bishops in attendance, the inclusion of bishops from sexuality minorities, and representing more than 160 countries around the world. Although gay and lesbian episcopal spouses were not yet included, it was a remarkable step forward. Bishop Marc has written in his reflection on the Lambeth gathering about how “friendship across difference” occurred in the 1 Peter Bible study, challenging those who would build “unscalable walls.” Lambeth is an opportunity for us to see and be the Church beyond the borders of our diocese. How people live and practice Christian faith and ministry in other contexts can and should be inspiration for how we are the Church here in our local community. The aim of this resolution is prevent Lambeth from being a distant and high level episcopal gathering that has little impact on parochial and diocesan Christian practice in the Diocese of California. It will be another decade at least before another Lambeth is held, giving the Diocese of California ample opportunity to live into the wisdom and live out the significance of Lambeth 2022. The resources for Lambeth are linked below.

Episcopal Statements of Support, https://www.lambethconference.org/statements-of-support/
Global Commentary on 1 Peter, https://www.lambethconference.org/resources/1-peter-resources/the-1-peter-commentary/
Justin Welby, The Power of Reconciliation, https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/power-of-reconciliation-9781399402972/
Forward Movement resources published on behalf of the Lambeth Conference, https://www.forwardmovement.org/AdvancedSearch/DefaultWFilter.aspx?SearchTerm=Global+anglican+perspectives
Lambeth Conference YouTube livestreams, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUANff_8IdgNOV8zgXjxX2ozNa8nr53VZ
Bishop Marc letter 09 August 2022, https://www.diocal.org/2022/08/09/conclusion-of-lambeth-2022/