The Archbishop of Canterbury has called on the Anglican Communion to pray for the upcoming Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Communion’s ten-yearly global meeting of bishops, which is set to take place from 26 July – 8 August in Canterbury, UK.
Today a new prayer resource for Lambeth compiled by Aotearoa New Zealand Franciscan, Br Christopher John SSF was released alongside the Archbishop’s call.
Archbishop Justin Welby has asked that bishops encourage their churches to set aside a day of prayer for Lambeth on Trinity Sunday (June 12) and to hold Lambeth in their prayers over the coming months.
“I invite you to call all those in your care to pray for the Lambeth Conference. Please pray that as we meet and consider our shared mission and ministry, that we may hear the call from God. In turn, that we might add our voices to call others to make a difference for Christ in the world.”
Archbishop Justin highlighted the outward-looking theme of this year’s Lambeth meeting – ‘God’s Church for God’s World’ asking Anglicans and Episcopalians to pray for the needs of the world, particularly for world peace, solutions to the global climate crisis and recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
A Lambeth prayer guide has been developed by Aotearoa New Zealand Anglican Franciscan Brother Christopher John SSF, who is Minister General of the Anglican Society of Saint Francis First Order Brothers and is serving on the Chaplaincy team for this year’s Lambeth Conference.
The prayer guide picks up themes that bishops will explore at Lambeth through a collection of prayers contributed by Episcopalian and Anglican Religious Communities from across provinces in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Prayers from both monastic and ‘dispersed’ religious orders call for God’s blessing while touching on Lambeth conference themes of mission and evangelism, Anglican identity and Christian unity, peace and reconciliation, care for Creation, discipleship and interfaith relations.
The Lambeth prayer guide also offers an overview of the Lambeth Conference programme and requests prayer for the many volunteers, stewards, staff, bishops and bishop’s spouses as they pray and work together.
