70 million Anglicans all over the world are waiting with trembling hearts. Some reporters, clergy, bishops, and special interest groups have even flown from other countries to station in London in order to have an immediate glance at the report.
The Lambeth Commission was set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams last year after the first openly gay Anglican bishop - Gene Robinson - was ordained in the U.S. to lead the diocese of New Hampshire in November which has caused a split between liberal and conservative wings. It is chaired by the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Dr Robin Eames, and includes a mix of liberals and conservatives.
Conservative traditionalists and evangelicals believe homosexual practice is forever and in all circumstances forbidden by the Bible, while liberals and others hold to the Bible teaching that God embraces all people despite their views on the sins of homosexuality.
Three meetings have been held by the Commission prior to the final report being released. The 17 members of the commission, from provinces around the world and from across the evangelical, liberal and catholic wings of the Church, examined the paper submitted by worldwide Anglicans about their views on homosexuality.
The conservatives, especially those in the Global South, have called for the report to take tough action on those dioceses which support homosexuality, a view which has been echoed by 'Reform' - the conservative evangelical network in England at their annual conference last week. They also demand a full public apology from Frank Griswold and his fellow consecrating bishops for ordaining the openly homosexual clergy Gene Robinson because of the damage it has done to the unity of the worldwide Church. On the other hand, liberals fear that the Commission will propose a ban on ordaining gay clergy.
The 80 page report has been produced under tight security to avoid leaks. But rumours the report may call for a series of “core covenants” for all the world’s independent Anglican churches to sign up to a binding agreement of shared beliefs in order to unite them. Under the proposals, the churches will not be suspended but will effectively suspend themselves if they are unable to sign up to the new covenant.
Therefore, fears have been raised that it will even widen the rift between two extremes in the Church if the report fails to create a middle ground that can satisfy the interest of both sides.
The Rev David Phillips, general secretary of the Church Society, said, “Every organisation needs rules about what is and is not acceptable behaviour amongst its members. The Anglican Communion is being asked to decide what to do when some members deliberately break the agreed rules.”
During the last hour before the release of the report, the Bishop of Connor, Reverend Alan Harper, said, “I think the will to unity is at least as strong as the will to division. Faced with some stark choices, I think there will be a genuine attempt to try and find a way of making peace in all of this issue.”
The Church of Ireland Primate Lord Robin Eames was appointed to deliver the controversial new report.