THE Lambeth Conference is taking place “at a time of great need for the love of God” in a changing world, the Queen has said.
Her message was released on Wednesday morning, addressed to the 650 Anglican bishops and their spouses who were travelling from Canterbury for a day at Lambeth Palace.
The Queen writes of the many challenges of recent years. In particular, she remembers the effects of the global pandemic, when “this gathering was necessarily postponed two years ago, when you had hoped to mark the centenary of the Lambeth Conference that took place in 1920, in the aftermath of the First World War.”
She continued: “Then, the bishops of the Anglican Communion set out a path for an ongoing commitment towards Christian unity in a changing world; a task that is, perhaps, even more important today, as together you look to the future and explore the role of the Church in responding to the needs of the present age.”
Meeting instead in 2022, the Conference had “convened during a period of immense challenge for bishops, clergy, and lay people around the world, with many of you serving in places of suffering, conflict, and trauma. It is of comfort to me that you do so in the strength of God.”
Climate change, the Queen said, was a particular threat to “the lives and livelihoods of many people and communities, not least the poorest and those less able to adapt and adjust. I was interested to learn that the focus of your programme at Lambeth Palace today is reflection and dialogue on the theme of the environment, a cause close to the heart of my late husband, and carried on by The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge.”
The Bishops’ discussions at the Palace on Wednesday, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs Caroline Welby, are to focus on the environment and sustainable development. The bishops are also due to plant a tree in the Lambeth Palace Garden to mark the launch of the Anglican Communion Forest — a global initiative of community activities to protect forests, encourage tree-planting, and restore eco-systems.
The Queen concluded: “Throughout my life, the message and teachings of Christ have been my guide and in them I find hope. It is my heartfelt prayer that you will continue to be sustained by your faith in times of trial and encouraged by hope at times of despair.
“I send my warmest good wishes to you all for a successful Conference and may God bless you in your ministry and service in his world.”