Lambeth: Your Invitation is Not in the Mail

The worldwide leader of the Anglican Church will meet with American bishops in September and several say they intend to press Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on his decision not to invite Gene Robinson, the denomination's first openly gay bishop, to an international summit of the world's Anglican bishops scheduled for next year in London.

The Archbishop had an explanation for his decision not to include Bishop Robinson: “I have to reserve the right to withhold or withdraw invitations from bishops whose appointment, actions or manner of life have caused exceptionally serious division or scandal within the Communion.”

No explanation is provided for excluding the Bishop of New Hampshire because he is gay while including the Archbishop of Nigeria who supports legislation criminalizing gay and lesbian people so draconian that it has been condemned by the international Human Rights Watch.

Williams informed Robinson, the bishop of New Hampshire he was not welcome at the summit, called the Lambeth Conference, earlier this month. Also not invited was Martyn Minns of the breakaway Convocation of Anglicans in North America which opposes gays in the clergy. Minns exclusion was not unexpected but Robinson's notice was greeted with anger from gay Episcopalians and a large number of bishops.

One of them, Marc Andrus, the bishop of California has been vocal in his support for Bishop Robinson and his opposition to Peter Akinola, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria and the leader of a conservative faction opposing gays. Akinola also has been a leader in promoting legislation in Nigeria limiting the civil rights of gays.

"I will be seeking to learn how I can best be in solidarity with Bishop Robinson, through prayerful action," said Bishop Andrus this week. "The tactic of isolation and exile being employed against Bishop Robinson is retrogressive behavior that moves us toward a past from which Christ is always seeking to redeem us."

"Our bishops must refuse to capitulate to those for whom the exclusion of gay and lesbian people is the criteria for membership in the Anglican Communion. My hope is that they will find a creative way to respond to Archbishop Williams that actually honors our Church's commitment to listen to the voices of lesbian and gay people around the world."

Archbishop Peter Akinola has threatened to boycott a major Anglican meeting over the failure of the Archbishop of Canterbury to invite Bishop Martyn Minns, a missionary bishop for Convocation of Anglican in North America (CANA) consecrated in 2006 by Akinola to shepherd Anglican congregations in the U.S. opposed to same-sex teachings. Akinola, said he would lead some 122 bishops in Nigeria to stay away from the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops, held every 10 years, because of the failure to invite Minns. "The withholding of invitation to a Nigerian bishop, elected and consecrated by other Nigerian bishops, will be viewed as withholding invitation to the entire House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria,'' Akinola said