Lambeth Conference
A decennial assembly of bishops of the Anglican Communion convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Lambeth Conference is a gathering of bishops from across the Anglican Communion for prayer and reflection, fellowship and dialogue on church and world affairs. Each session serves a collaborative and consultative function, expressing "the mind of the communion" on issues of the day. Resolutions that a Lambeth Conference may pass are without legal effect but are nonetheless influential. Although the resolutions of conferences carry no legislative authority, they do carry great moral and spiritual authority. Its statements on social issues have influenced church policy in the churches.
The conference takes place across venues at the University of Kent, Canterbury Cathedral, and Lambeth Palace.
The theme of the 2022 Lambeth Conference was “God’s Church for God’s World – Walking, Listening and Witnessing Together.” It explored what it means for the Anglican Communion to be responsive to the needs of a 21st century world.
When the first Lambeth conference was held in 1867, it was attended by 76 bishops. The conference is held approximately every 10 years and continues to serve as a collaborative and consultative function, expressing “the mind of the communion” on issues of the day. More than 900 Bishops from the Anglican Communion are invited to attend by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The resolutions passed at the conference may not bear legal weight, but they are influential and carry “great moral and spiritual authority,” and have influenced church policy on many social issues.
Since 1978, the conference has been held at the Canterbury campus of the University of Kent, allowing the bishops to live and worship together while they discuss the life of the Anglican Communion for the next decade.
The Anglican Communion is served by four “Instruments of Communion,” which – along with the Lambeth Conference -- include the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates’ Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.