Anglicans do not go 'down the road of expelling other Christians', says Welby

The Archbishop of Canterbury addressing the Lambeth Conference. (Photo: Lambeth Conference)

The Archbishop of Canterbury says Anglicans must "seek with passion the visible unity of the Church".

In his second keynote address to 650 bishops at the Lambeth Conference, Archbishop Justin Welby admitted this is "very difficult". 

He said that different views were "God's gift" and could be "prophetic", and that Christians must not hate those they disagree with. 

The Archbishop also suggested that expulsion from the Communion was not the right response to differences.

"We're not at liberty to choose our brothers and sisters, our siblings. Of course, we have groups with different views," he said.

"Of course, they are God's gift to us because the different view will often challenge us and changes our minds, it can be prophetic.

"But we do not, as I said earlier, go down the road of expelling other Christians." 

He said it was "by God's grace" that the bishops had "disagreed without hatred" during the conference and "not as many in the press want us to". 

He continued, "A friend of one of our children, of one of our sons, a reporter who is a Christian said, 'I rejoice and I am sad. I rejoice, because this week I have seen something new - people who disagree loving each other - but my news editor is very sad because there is nothing to say about that.'"

On Tuesday, in opening comments at the plenary on human dignity, the Archbishop said he was not interested in excluding particular churches from the Anglican Communion. 

"I am very conscious that the Archbishop of Canterbury is to be a focus of unity and is an Instrument of Communion. That is a priority," he said.

"I neither have, nor do I seek, the authority to discipline or exclude a church of the Anglican Communion. I will not do so. I may comment in public on occasions, but that is all."

The Call on Human Dignity has been been a source of division during the conference because of disagreements over references to Lambeth 1.10, a 1998 resolution upholding marriage between a man and a woman and renouncing homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture. 

Orthodox Anglican bishops have said that the state of the Communion warrants the adoption of "suitable forms of visible differentiation" but that they would "seek not to be schismatic".

"Simply stated, we find that if there is no authentic repentance by the revisionist provinces, then we will sadly accept a state of 'impaired communion' with them," the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches said on Friday.

News
Pope seeks prayers for peace in Christmas Day message
Pope seeks prayers for peace in Christmas Day message

The Pope asked people to pray in particular for the "tormented people of Ukraine" in his Christmas Day 'Urbi et Orbi' message. 

Who was St Stephen and why is he remembered on December 26?
Who was St Stephen and why is he remembered on December 26?

The carol says, “Good King Wenceslas last looked out on the Feast of Stephen.” In many countries, December 26, also known as Boxing Day, is better known as St Stephen’s Day. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. This is the story …

King Charles reflects on pilgrimage, reconciliation and hope in Christmas Day address
King Charles reflects on pilgrimage, reconciliation and hope in Christmas Day address

King Charles III used his Christmas Day speech to reflect on the significance of pilgrimage as he appealed to the nation "to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation". 

2 Timothy 3:16 is Logos' Bible verse of the year, Matthew was the most studied book
2 Timothy 3:16 is Logos' Bible verse of the year, Matthew was the most studied book

One of the most-studied Bible verses of the year is from 2 Timothy in the New Testament, according to an analysis of millions of Bible study sessions that tracked how believers worldwide are engaging with Scripture.