Dates for 2008 Lambeth Conference announced

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has officially announced the Lambeth Conference dates in an Advent Letter to the 38 primates around the world. Archbishop Williams, at whose invitation the bishops come to the conference, outlined his hopes for this global meeting of Anglican bishops. He spoke of the conference as an opportunity for “individual Christian pastors to meet Jesus afresh, for our church to be renewed in mission, for the world to hear good news.”

Church called to prayer for residential schools negotiations

The Council of General Synod, meeting in Mississauga, Ont., has unanimously passed the following motion: “That this Council of General Synod … call the church to prayer on behalf of all those involved in the negotiations between the Hon. Frank Iacobucci, legal counsel for former students, the Assembly of First Nations and legal counsel for other involved church entities, that these negotiations will result in a fair and lasting resolution of the legacy of Indian Residential Schools in Canada.”

Call for symposium proposals

From May 18-20, 2006, Toronto’s University of St. Michael’s College, Regis College, L’Arche Daybreak and the Henri Nouwen Societies of Canada, the United States and Netherlands will host Turning the Wheel: Henri Nouwen and Our Search for God to mark the 10th anniversary of Henri Nouwen’s death.

Primate urges Church to study and respond to St. Michael Report

The Primate, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, has written to all bishops and metropolitans asking them to encourage their dioceses and provinces to study and respond to the St. Michael Report. The Report was produced at the request of the Primate following a decision by General Synod in 2004 to defer consideration of the blessing of same-sex unions until the Primate’s Theological Commission had studied the question. Their theological evaluation of the issue was presented to the Council of General Synod in May, a full year before the deadline, so that there will be greater opportunity for the Report to be studied by the church.

Only two years

Work is underway in the organization of General Synod 2007, which will be held at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, in the Diocese of Rupert’s Land. The dates of the synod are June 19-25.