THE third phase of the Lambeth Conference will begin in May this year, as congregations around the Anglican Communion are encouraged to explore the themes discussed by bishops last summer.

In an announcement on Thursday, the chair of a new steering group for “Phase 3”, the Archbishop of Central America, the Most Revd Julio Murray, said: “We have some important work to carry forwards into the life of the Anglican Communion.”

This will be the third and final phase of the tripartite Lambeth Conference, which began with monthly virtual meetings of bishops for a year (Phase 1) before the in-person gathering in Canterbury in July last year (News, 7 June 2021).

Webinars to launch Phase 3 will be held on 24 and 25 of May, in the week leading up to Pentecost Sunday. Anyone can register on the Lambeth Conference website, and churches around the Communion are invited to discuss the themes discussed in the Lambeth Calls.

Updated versions of the Lambeth Calls will also be released, incorporating feedback from bishops during the Lambeth Conference. Ten Calls, on themes including the environment, discipleship and Anglican identity, were agreed at the gathering.

The Lambeth Call on Human Dignity became the focus of controversy when its original version explicitly affirmed Lambeth Resolution 1.10 from 1998, which asserts that bishops “cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions” (News, 5 August 2022).

“The Lambeth Calls address important matters in church and world affairs,” Archbishop Murray said on Thursday. “The Lambeth Calls are not intended as resolutions or ‘orders’ to be imposed. They are being offered as calls or invitations that can be explored together in a way that strengthens our life as an Anglican Communion.

“Our prayer for Phase 3 is that you will all ‘Add Your Voice to the Call’, involve your churches, and share your stories, as we discern how God is calling us to walk, listen, and witness together.”