“Our bursary support will enable bishops from some of the poorest countries in the world – many of whom serve dioceses torn apart by conflict and persecution – to attend Lambeth 2020,” Sir Philip Mawer, said

Allchurches Trust is to make a £750,000 grant to the Lambeth Conference Company to support travel bursaries for bishops from developing countries. The Lambeth Conference is a once-a-decade gathering of the bishops of the Anglican Communion. Held at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the next one will take place from 24 July to 3 August 2020 at the University of Kent in Canterbury.

Every serving bishop from the Anglican Communion will be invited to the gathering. The biggest challenge faced by the organisers is the cost of travel, including the cost of visa applications. Many bishops and their spouses will have to travel to a third country for a visa application interview and return to that third country to collect a visa before being allowed to board a flight to the UK.

The £750,000 grant from Allchurches Trust will go towards a bursury fund being established by the Lambeth Conference Company. It is the largest donation received so far  by the Lambeth Conference; coming ahead of a $1,000,000 USD (£724,000) grant from the Compass Rose Society which will also be used to support the bursary scheme. It is on top of an additional grant of £150,000 given by Allchurches Trust towards the delivery of the conference.

“Our bursary support will enable bishops from some of the poorest countries in the world – many of whom serve dioceses torn apart by conflict and persecution – to attend Lambeth 2020,” the Chairman of Allchurches Trust, Sir Philip Mawer, said. “They will be able to give voice to the challenges and opportunities facing the Global South and play a key role in shaping the priorities for the Anglican Communion worldwide, from building bridges between nations and communities to tackling our environmental impact. 

“They will also return to their dioceses better equipped to lead and direct local church life and deliver their mission.”

The Chief Executive of the Lambeth Conference Company, Phil George, described the grant as “wonderful news.”

“When I heard the Trustees decision I was bowled over,” he said. “This means so much to us all and the many bishops and spouses who otherwise simply would not be able to attend the 2020 Lambeth Conference. This demonstrates the board’s endorsement of Archbishop Justin’s ministry and his objectives for the conference.”