Williams urges unity amid tensions

Dr Rowan Williams said churches that are divided, fearful and inward-looking do not easily convey the message to others of living in a more hopeful atmosphere.

He delivered his sermon at St Dunstan's Church in Canterbury, Kent, towards the end of the first week of the 10-yearly Lambeth Conference attended by 670 bishops from around the world at the University of Kent.

Disharmony has seen a quarter of the bishops invited to the conference stage a boycott in objection to the presence of US bishops responsible for the consecration of the Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the first Anglican bishop to openly live in a gay partnership.

The battle to gain unity also follows the Church of England's decision earlier this month to press ahead with the consecration of women bishops but without safeguards demanded by traditionalists.

Dr Williams said: "Our Anglican family badly needs to find some ways of resolving its internal tensions that will set it free to be more confidently what God wants it to be.

"Part of our agenda at this conference is to do with this. But our willingness to work at it constructively has a lot to do with hearing good news from our own members, the sort of good news we've heard something of this morning."

Dr Williams said the conference was a time to tell the world amid the daily conflict and terror being witnessed throughout parts of the globe that "Christ is here, you're not alone".

He said it was important to assure those people living in places of conflict or crisis that they are "not alone and not trapped".

Dr Williams added: "They remind all of us in the Anglican family that when we feel helpless, storm-tossed or bereaved as we think about our church conflicts, Jesus is here with us too, saying, 'Where I am there is life. I don't condemn you. Don't be afraid. I am here'."