He told the Episcopal News Service that "the focus here is on transformation, the building of communion and the engagement with each other, the goal of which is to equip the bishops to be more effective and faithful servants to the 'Missio Dei' [God's mission]."

"[But] coming together [is] to encounter one another and God's word, engage the hard issues at a deep level of conversation, and then be equipped to serve God's mission in the world."

The last two Conferences featured four issues-related groups that developed resolutions for the entire group of bishops to consider, said Douglas. Instead, in an effort to equip the bishops as leaders in God's mission, the 2008 Conference will begin with groups of eight bishops from different provinces meeting in what are being called "ndaba groups" to begin the practice of encountering God's Word and encountering each other through sharing their stories and God's story. The word "ndaba" is Zulu, which Douglas said can be translated as a gathering for conversation for the sake of conversation.

Groups of five ndaba groups will be combined for discussions of issues. Douglas told the Executive Council that some of those issues may well include the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), global economic justice, environmental concerns, interfaith dialogue (especially between Christians and Muslims), how to include voices not normally heard at Lambeth (such as women, young people and other members of the laity), Anglican biblical hermeneutics, Anglican identities, the Listening Process, and "human sexuality writ large."

What is wrong with this picture?

First of all, Dr. Douglas does not differentiate or see that the Anglican Communion has two very different definitions and understandings of mission.

Global South Anglicans and Western Anglican Evangelicals believe that Missio Dei - the Mission of God - is pressing The Great Commission (in consort with the Great Commandment) calling people to repentance and faith, and baptism in the name of a clearly defined Trinity and a life of discipleship, while Western Liberal Anglicans believe mission means pushing Millennium Development Goals, and eradicating poverty, in a vain attempt to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth.

There is absolutely no way Global South Anglicans will accept the latter without the former being understood as the basis of mission. The Global South has 90 percent of the poverty and is growing like gangbusters while the Episcopal Church is declining in numbers with a mere 800,000 practicing Episcopalians. The Church of England has one million practicing Anglicans while there are 18 million practicing Nigerian Anglicans!

Western Anglicans (UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and most of Australia) have fixated on human amelioration without its attendant call for heart transformation, something Dr. Douglas (who teaches at one of the most liberal Episcopal seminaries in the U.S. and possibly the world) has no intention of pressing. He is thoroughly embarrassed by urgings and promptings of the Holy Spirit to calls of faith and repentance. Inclusivity has bagged that completely.

Look at the list of issues:

* Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
* Global economic justice
* Environmental concerns
* Interfaith dialogue (especially between Christians and Muslims),
* How to include voices not normally heard at Lambeth (such as women, young people and other parts of the laity),
* Anglican biblical hermeneutics,
* Anglican identities,
* The Listening Process, and
* "Human sexuality writ large."

Not a single one has to do with gospel proclamation, the very substance of which has the power to transform lives. The 10 Commandments have been replaced by the nine Hopeful Suggestions, and The Sermon on the Mount, with the Lament from Lambeth.

Note this paragraph: "The design for Lambeth 2008 is not driven by production of reports and enabling resolutions building out of the reports, and that's a significant departure from previous designs."

INTERPRETATION. Never again will the Archbishop of Canterbury or a design team - those spinning this gabfest - ever allow archbishops and bishops to "report", talk or vote about homosexuality" or allow "resolutions" like resolution 1:10 which nixed sodomy, (526 to 70) to ever come before this august gathering of purple again. That was a mistake that will not be repeated, if Douglas has any say. Instead we will all have pleasant "conversation" - a Griswoldian phrase - which resolves nothing and allows everyone to carry on doing whatever it is they want to do without interference or moral outrage from other provinces. This is a recipe for schism. The Lambeth bishops will never be allowed to talk about the next stage of sodomy, namely same-sex unions, now largely brokered in, in the U.S. and shortly Canada. (No one believes for a moment that Canada won't follow the U.S. It is only a matter of time.)

Take the issue of "interfaith dialogue". Does anyone really believe that there will be sessions at Lambeth 2008 where bishops are taught or learn how to actually present the gospel to Muslims so they can believe in Jesus "as the Way, the Truth and the Life"? Don't hold your breath. It will be all about "dialogue", making nice with Islam, but nothing on the order of Muslims needing Jesus for their salvation. That is considered to be too exclusionary, fundamentalist, and lacking true diversity.

The call to include voices not normally heard at Lambeth (such as women, young people and other parts of the laity) is also another ploy to defuse and dilute the power of the bishops. That was the cry of John Peterson the former ACC general secretary who argued that the laity should be included in future Lambeth conferences. Why? So that votes like 527 to 60 never happen again. Hand pick a vast sea of liberal laity (men, women, homosexuals and lesbians) to defuse and dilute the power of the bishops. Brilliant. Will it work? We shall see.

Biblical Hermeneutics. This will be another diversionary effort to distance oneself from the clear biblical prohibitions on sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage. Anglican Provinces will be asked to come up with a hermeneutic of inclusion based on culture, environment and anything else they can find, but under no circumstances will the plain meaning of the biblical texts be allowed to stand as they are. They will be parsed to death with a thousand cuts.

Or take the "listening process". This was set up and paid for by the TEC to listen to the whine of homosexuals and lesbians about why and how their behavior should be included in the life of the church. While the other side presents cases for celibacy, we all know how this will end - either in the language of fudge, or worse, liberal provinces telling orthodox provinces that they have no business interfering in their life as they have their own constitution and canons...so get lost.

"Human sexuality writ large". Under no circumstances is one to believe that heterosexual behavior is the final word. The very words "writ large" invite a wider understanding and appeal to sex outside the hetero box. You can be sure that under the supervising eye of Canon Kenneth Kearon of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) that box will have both ends open and a "writ large" sign big enough to light up Times Square or Trafalgar Square.

Dr. Williams says he wants Lambeth to be about the business of prayer. He wants all the bishops to pray without ceasing. Fair enough. Does one need to spend millions of dollars on travel and more in order to pray? Jesus said when you pray go into your closet, not grab a flight to London and then take a train to Canterbury. Of course these days the only things going into or out of closets have very little to do with prayer.

Douglas also said this: "...it's a gathering of bishops in communion with the See of Canterbury. That gathering of bishops is nothing more, nothing less than that. In other words, it's not some grand episcopal synod that is to effect policy for a global, unified singular Church." In short we have no common faith or doctrine, no common understanding of morality. We have nothing except an invitation from Dr. Williams who can pick and choose whomever he likes to come. Be thankful if you got an invitation. One doubts that Thomas Cranmer would agree with Dr. Douglas.

The Archbishop of Nigeria, Dr. Peter Akinola has already expostulated on whether there is a need for Lambeth if it is just a warming up to accept all things liberal on sexuality issues. He is threatening to keep his 122 bishops out of Lambeth if his North American bishop is not invited. His motto has been, you don't need to go through Canterbury to get to Jesus.

There are fourteen months before the great event and anything can still happen. This story should serve as a warning that either the liberals will see this as a grand moment to yell and scream about Bishop Robinson's non invitation and push for a wider liberalization of the Anglican Communion on faith and morals, or that orthodox bishops will stand up and say there is one truth about the nature of the gospel, one truth about sexual behavior, one truth about heaven and hell and mind what you believe because your eternal destiny might just depend on it.

END