More than one in four bishops to boycott Lambeth Conference

By Martin Beckford, Religion Correspondent
11/07/2008

A quarter of the world's Anglican bishops are to boycott the once-a-decade gathering of church leaders which starts next week, in protest at liberals' stance on women clergy and homosexuality.

Officials have disclosed that 230 of the 880 bishops in the worldwide Communion are staying away from the Lambeth Conference, including at least four from the Church of England as well as the entire provinces of Nigeria, Uganda and Rwanda.

Many of those who are attending say they will be unable to take part in any services led by the female head of the Anglican church in America because of their opposition to women bishops.
Other leading figures have said they are "astonished" at the apparent lack of preparation for the three-week summit which starts in Canterbury on Wednesday, with no detailed agenda or background papers being published. the rest

Kenya's Anglican bishops to boycott Lamberth conference