Third draft of Lambeth Conference Reflections published.
Please see the earlier post here for version 2. There have been revisions in version 3. It is now 18 pages long
Mission and Evangelism
18. In Christ Jesus, God has revealed himself as the self-giving Lord of Creation, full of compassion and mercy. That same Son who was sent by the Father into the world, in turn sent forth his disciples, instructing them to proclaim the good news, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. It is therefore God’s mission in which we share.
19. Mission belongs to God and we are called to engage in this mission so that God’s will of salvation for all may be fulfilled. In this sense, mission is not primarily an activity of the church, but an attribute of God. The church exists as an instrument for that mission. There is church because there is mission, not vice-versa……
22. We affirm that evangelism concerns the making of disciples and spiritual growth. This must involve a personal encounter with the risen Christ and a commitment to discipleship..
29 God’s mission is holistic; its orientation is toward the redemption of the whole of creation. For Anglicans, and indeed the whole Church, the Gospel is not just the proclamation of individual redemption, but the renewal of all of society under the Reign of God; the ending of injustice and the restoration of right relationships with God and between human beings and between humanity and creation across the globe.
31. The Millenium Development Goals are seen as a very good framework for engaging witb social justice issues across the Communion at Provincial, Diocesan and Parish level. We recognize the theological; imperatives underpinning the Millennium Development Goals. We need to clarify and state those imperatives clearly.
32. One of the chief aspects of Christian engagement with issues of social justice is the proclamation of reconciliation. Because we have been reconciled to God in Christ, so we are called to bring reconciliation into the world. Stories of experiences and situations in which reconciliation has been undertaken were shared……The ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury has been cited for us as a focus of reconciliation, carrying the cross of Christ in collegiality with us bishops, even as there is hope for reconciliation in the current situation of conflict within the Communion.
Environment
39 While many agencies can engage with environmental issues, the church lust do so from the starting point of Scripture and a credible theology. .. Theologies of creation, Sabbath, stewardship and “enough” need to be developed for general use. Creation did not fall, humanity did, and this has led to the destruction of creation…..
41. There is only one instrument for sustaining God’s creation – humanity
42. Every Anglican must understand that it is their personal responsibility to live a rule of life that sustains and restores God’s creation.
Ecumenism
Strengthening Anglican Identity
What is the distinctive contribution of the life of the Anglican Communion to God’s Mission and the Proclamation of the Gospel.
57. Formed by Scripture
58. Shaped by Worship
59. Ordered for communion
The way forward in our common life lies chiefly through the deepening of the reality of our Communion
In the proclamation of a common faith
In the development of person to person relationships
In diocesan partnerships
In reviving our sense of belonging and mutual affection
60 Directed by God’s mission
We believe that living service, prophetic witness and a respectful evangelism that speaks of the uniqueness of Christ belong together.
61 The service we offer as bishops….
62. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that there are great tensions in our relationship at present and an erosion of trust between us. There is concern caused by a perceived lack of restraint and self-limitation, by impaired communion and by intervention across provinces. There is some lack of confidence in the “Instruments of Communion” as the means of achieving this and a particular concern about the role of the Primates’ Meeting.
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