Meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion
October 2003

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, called a special meeting of the primates of the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion to discuss concerns resulting from the election of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New Hampshire, consent to his election by the General Convention meeting in Minneapolis in July, 2003, and the decision by the Diocese of New Westminster, Canada to authorize rites for the blessing of same gender unions. The primates issued a statement on October 16.

In addition, the Archbishop appointed the 17-member Lambeth Commission on Communion to address "the ways in which provinces of the Anglican Communion may relate to one another in situations where the ecclesiastical authorities of one province feel unable to maintain the fullness of communion with another part of the Anglican Communion." The Commission was to meet and issue its report in October, 2004.

Below are links to documents relating to the meeting of the primates and to the work of the Lambeth Commission.

October 16, 2003 Statement of the Primates of the Anglican Communion

Statement by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold

Response by Vermont Bishop Thomas Ely

Response by the Diocese of New Hampshire

Bishop Ely's October 21, 2003 editorial in the Burlington Free Press

Lambeth Commission on Communion Index Page (on this site)