I expect him to play his part to the full in responding to Archbishop Rowan’s invitation in his Pentecost Letter to go to the heart of issues, to listen and to trust in order to build the greater unity envisaged by the Windsor Report and the Covenant Process; to model communion that reflects the generosity and openness of the God in Christ who died for all; to witness to a unity that can offer so much to a divided world; to express that openness and breadth of engagement that is the heart of Anglican incarnational and mission theology. I have just read Nicholas Holtam’s new book 'A Room with a View: Ministry with the World at Your Door', which reflects in different ways on the mission and ministry of St Martin’s in the Fields, including a short description of the remarkable renewal of the Church and its facilities – facilities I was able to tour recently with our Bishop’s Staff. In particular two chapters describe what it means to be a church with a view and what he understands to be the character of ‘good religion’. Both are grounded in a wide and inclusive understanding of what God is calling his church to be – both reflect the priorities of St Martin’s.
I hope that spirit of the wide view on the world will be at the heart of Lambeth. And that means that I expect my Bishop to ensure that Lambeth focuses on what really matters; on those things which threaten people’s well-being and which undermine the Kingdom in the world.
So I expect him, for instance, to take with him the lessons from one of our pre-Lambeth events when our visiting Bishops will reflect with us on the challenge of climate change. God’s fragile world: Global Views of Climate Change (Leicester Cathedral – 4.00 pm July 13th) will be our local opportunity to engage in listening, learning and reflecting together, not least as we hear the testimony of Rt Revd Michael Baroi and Rt Revd Paul Sarker from Bangladesh.
And I expect him equally to take the voices of the young people who will also gather in Leicester in that pre-Lambeth week. The Lambeth Talk will bring together young people from across the Communion with Archbishop Sentamu and other Bishops; An opportunity not just to hear the voice of the young but also to focus the challenges of a world where millions of children and young people are under-nourished, under-educated and under-loved.
And maybe most of all I expect him to come back renewed and refreshed by prayer, worship, and Indaba to renew our focus as a Church with a View.
Richard Atkinson – Archdeacon of Leicester
