As members of the College of Bishops prepare to travel to Canterbury for the forthcoming Lambeth Conference, they have issued the following statement and request for Prayer:
The Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church are looking forward to attending the Lambeth Conference 2022 which starts next week.
It will be an opportunity to deepen existing relationships within the Anglican Communion, to develop new ones and to engage with issues that face all Anglican Provinces, whatever their context.
The Conference programme includes a number of “calls” for the Conference to consider. These can be viewed at this link.
Human Dignity features as one of the topics, the call for which includes a reaffirmation of the 1998 Lambeth Conference resolution I.10 and defines marriage as permissible only between a man and woman. The wording of that call does not represent the position of the Scottish Episcopal Church as reflected in the Church’s Canons, which recognises that there are differing understandings of marriage in the SEC.
The Conference calls are not binding on provinces and are yet to be discussed. The members of the College of Bishops will seek to amend the draft call on Human Dignity urging a more inclusive approach and will work in respectful dialogue both with those colleagues across the Communion who would share the position adopted by the Scottish Episcopal Church, and with those who may differ.
The Bishops ask the Church to join with them in praying for the Conference, for all those who attend, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury as he hosts the Conference.
Editor’s note: Attached is a letter from the Bishop of St Andrews addressing this issue in greater detail.
