Occasionally, he will single out a denomination including his own -- the Southern Baptists -- as well as Roman Catholics, Quakers, Methodists, Mormons, Muslims, and Anglicans.

What has driven pilgrims from evangelical Baptist, Presbyterian, Free Church, and non-denominational ranks? What have they found to be the chief attractions of Anglicanism?

Reasons to Leave

I read Webber's original account of those who walked the Canterbury trail, and I've also informally interviewed several Anglican pilgrims. As I've done so, several themes have emerged. Here are some common reasons Anglican Christians have given for leaving their evangelical roots:

So, according to the British Archbishop, racial reconciliation is more "unifying" than the Bible's teaching on same-sex marriage or the ordination of gay priests? Dr Welby is also mistaken though as to the historical reality surrounding his own denomination's ministry to Australia's indigenous peoples.

The Conference has gathered each decade, more or less, since 1867, representing something called the "Anglican Communion." This phrase derived, in the mid-nineteenth century, from the great missionary expansion that saw Anglican churches planted around the globe. Originally meant to gather Anglican bishops for consultation and "fellowship," the Lambeth gathering grew in influence, and its resolutions attained significant authority.