AN URGENT REQUEST FOR YOUR SUPPORT
From the 16th of
July through the 3rd of August, the bishops of the Anglican Communion will
gather in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference—an every-ten-year opportunity
to meet for worship, study, and conversation. The theme of this year's Lambeth
Conference is “Equipping Bishops to Fulfill Their Leadership Role in God's
The Threat and the Opportunity
What
happens at the Lambeth Conference in 2008 will have a tremendous impact upon
General Convention in 2009. If a
significant percentage of Anglican bishops continue to insist that the
Episcopal Church refrain from ordaining additional lesbian/gay bishops and
blessing same-gender relationships or else face expulsion from the Anglican
Communion, it will very difficult to persuade General Convention to nullify
B033 and advance marriage equality.
Conversely, if the great majority of Anglican bishops "hear what
the Spirit is saying is saying to the Church" and give space for the Episcopal
Church to make its own decisions on LGBT issues, General Convention could well
be a tipping point for full inclusion.
The Lambeth
Conference could also decide the fate of the Anglican Communion and the
Episcopal Church's place in it. The historic ties of mutual affection and
common history that have bound the diverse, global Anglican family of faith
together for generations are under assault by those who would replace communion
with conformity as the criterion for a place at the Anglican table. It is
critical that, at Lambeth 2008, those committed to the historic ethos of
Anglican comprehensiveness stand together to…
- Witness to our shared history;
- Call our Anglican brothers and sisters in
Christ to transcend the differences that some insist must divide us;
- Focus on the common mission and
ministry that will, in the end, unite us.
It is critical that
the LGBT faithful, who have seen their lives and vocations reduced to
bargaining chips in a decade-long game of Anglican politics, speak out together
and give voice to the hope and the faith their witness to the Anglican
Communion represents.
Claiming God's Mission
Integrity's
message at Lambeth will be that God's mission includes all people, especially
those marginalized by our societies. We work towards the day when all people
are fully included in all rites and all orders of the Church and towards the
realization of the Reign of God. Thus we stand within the
"mainstream" of the Anglican ethos which is inclusive and tolerant of
difference.
After thirty years
of promising to “listen to the experience of gay and lesbian persons," the
Anglican Communion is still content to listen to those who want to talk about
us rather than talk to us.
Lambeth 2008 is the end of that.
Integrity is
working with two coalitions to have a unified, effective presence at the
Lambeth Conference. Within the Episcopal
Church we are working the Chicago Consultation—which is composed of some 50
inclusion activism leaders—gay and straight; bishops, clergy, and laity. Within the Anglican Communion, we are working
with the St. Anne's Network—which consists of about a dozen LGBT organizations
from around the globe—including Integrity
As part of these
coalitions, Integrity will be…
- Staffing a "Marketplace"
exhibit booth
- Attending all press events, networking
with journalists, and share our perspective.
- Writing, producing, and distributing a
daily newspaper with feature articles, news briefings, and human interest
stories.
- Providing information to our members
back home via blogs, e-mail lists, and YouTube video clips.
- Operating a "communication
centre" with Internet- linked computers, a printer, and a
photocopier.
- Communicating with and assisting
LGBT-friendly bishops– helping them network with each other, providing
them with information as needed, and facilitating strategy meetings.
- Organizing and staffing
"fringe" events—movies, plays, and art exhibits—in the evenings.
- Hosting an "Inclusive
Communion" mass.
With your help, Integrity
will be at the Lambeth Conference and make a real difference there. We will
bring the Good News of lives transformed and hearts healed by the power of
God's inclusive love. We will witness to the true spirit of traditional
Anglicanism and call our Anglican Communion family to claim the power of its
history as we move forward in faith together into God's future.
A Request
Integrity needs
your financial support if we are to witness on your behalf at
Integrity's Estimated Expenses for Lambeth 2008 = $40,000·
Travel,
food, and lodging for 8 Integrity ·
Passports,
visas, travel, food, and lodging for 2 Integrity ·
Exhibit
booth rental and design ·
Communications
Centre rental of local parish hall ·
Mobile
phone rental ·
Computer,
printer, photocopier rental ·
High
speed Internet access ·
Miscellaneous
office supplies |
Please
help. The easiest way to make your donation is to click here.
Donations may also
be mailed to:
Integrity
800-462-9498 toll-free | 585-486-6529 fax | canterburycampaign@integrityusa.org