Walking Off

So the Lambeth Conference bishops went for a walk in London to protest that the Millennium Development Goals are in danger of not being carried through, including many bishops from places that in the present economic climate can hardly feed themselves. The bishops enjoyed good hospitality at Palaces Lambeth (a two courser) and Buckingham and when they returned to Kent, in another queue, they were aware even more of their own feeding for a third time. A suggestion for next time might be something like a War on Want lunch, a small gesture on a big eating day. Gordon Brown does believe in tackling poverty around the world, though one must contrast the need for the walk and such an impassioned speech. Talk and action are different; his gushing praise for the walk did not come over well on television (because he said this was the greatest protest/ demonstration ever seen regarding poverty and it just sounds like over the top praise for an approved by him group).

Meanwhile the Common Cause Partnership is petitioning to become the 'North American Province of GAFCON'. I find this wording odd - shared by the USA and Canada. First of all GAFCON is a conference and this construction is still being used. Secondly I thought the idea was that this would be an Anglican province as such attempt to replace The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. But instead it is to be a province of GAFCON. It sounds more and more like separation, walking off. Apparently Bishop Bob Duncan has done enough of his "I'm still a loyal Anglican" bit and will leave Lambeth at the weekend, no doubt to criticise the method of Lambeth once away, but mainly to do the preparation for his own escalation into a breakaway Primate - of GAFCON. Separation it is. One wonders what Venables thinks.