Press Releases31 Jul 08

Interviews from Lambeth: The Bishop of Tuam, Killala & Achonry

Interviews from Lambeth: a series of interviews with the Church of Ireland bishops attending the conference

The Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry, the Rt Revd Richard Henderson

Church of Ireland Press Officer, Paul Harron, continues his series of interviews with the Irish bishops attending the Lambeth Conference by talking to the Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry, the Rt Revd Richard Henderson

PH: Bishop, you have a very significant role at the conference as one of the ‘indaba’ group ‘animateurs’. Can you explain this role and tell me something of what is coming out of your discussions?

BRH: The 16 ‘indaba’ groups are each made up from five bible study groups, which each have eight people within them, so there are 40 of us. As ‘animateur’ for one of these groups it is my role to lead us in discussion. It is an incredible privilege to be doing this as the range of people I’m encountering is extraordinary as is the wide range of our discussions.

The first week of the conference was really about generating a community – pre-‘indaba’ if you like – so that we could become mutually informed. We considered our roles as bishops in the outward-looking sense, looking at mission and social justice, for example. As from today (30/7/08), we have just started to focus inwardly: looking at how we live as bishops under scripture, and tomorrow (Thursday 31st), we attempt to listen to God and each other on the subject of human sexuality. The process is one of sharing with and revealing to each other how our minds work and how that informs our various contexts. It has revealed how we stand under God differently while using the same scripture. The process reminds me of the schoolboy instruction to ‘show me your working not your answers’.

It is a difficult task: we won’t know our conclusions until we get there, which is the point of ‘indaba’. We hope to find new space and we’ve begun a process. I hope that we’ve begun something that we can take on beyond Lambeth – it is a process which needs continuation in the future. During our retreat period – in which we experienced some marvellous moments – the Archbishop of Canterbury stressed the importance of prayer in this. With prayer, we can bring together the strands of history and the scriptures and find ourselves moving to a new place, not yet conceived.

It’s a huge responsibility being an ‘animateur’, trying to ensure that every single person has a voice. It’s nerve-wracking and exhausting but very rewarding. You might think of the old phrase, ‘trying to herd weasels at a cross-roads’, but, while we are at a cross-roads, the bishops are not being weasely! I feel we have the right ingredients to move forward. That we don’t as yet have clarity on all the issues is, I feel, a healthy sign of the process, not the reverse. And I would stress that there is a very powerful emphasis on prayer: all the bishops in the group are genuinely seeking God’s will.

PH: What is your own ‘indaba’ group like?

BRH: We are a diverse group, with bishops from Polynesia, South Africa, North America, Europe – all over the world. We are fortunate in that we can operate in English. There is only one person in the group who requires an interpreter and this is being handled by a ‘whisperer’ beside him which means he is not distanced by the use of translation through headphones. We have built up a good flow of communication despite a crowded agenda.

PH: How do you have your own voice while being an ‘animateur’?

BRH: A good question! I do need to keep a personal neutrality. That said, without leading the conversation, I do retain my own right to speak, as I probably will on sexuality. I felt, though, that I should make a written rather than a verbal submission to the Windsor Continuation Group last week. However, having bishops as ‘animateurs’ is probably the right thing: bishops understand other bishops in ways that perhaps outsider facilitators couldn’t.

PH: And this ‘indaba’ process continues right up to the last day of the conference?

BRH: Yes, right through to Sunday morning. The ‘indaba’ listeners (see interview with Bishop Alan Abernethy on his role on the Reflection Group) are being very active and now feeding back to us.

PH: The Archbishop of Canterbury gave his second presidential address on Tuesday (29/7/08), talking of ‘the need to speak life to each other and that means change’: what impression did you have of his speech?

BRH: I thought it another masterpiece: he gave voice to what people were thinking, reflecting the difficulty of our situation. He portrayed the different viewpoints and angles among us and I think that many will feel it significant that that knowledge is resident in the Archbishop of Canterbury. He appealed for Christ-like faith, and demonstrated the depth of his spiritual and religious belief. As a result, he is very much at the centre of our affections.

PH: What do you think are the important discussions ahead this week?

BRH: The Anglican Covenant discussions are to be further discussed – looking at what form that might take. I imagine some of what the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, said to us earlier in the week will feed into that, by way of the difference between ‘covenants’ which are positive pledges of love and trust and ‘contracts’ which are by their nature transactional and perhaps restrictive; there is a subtle balance to be got right here.

We have two ‘indaba’ sessions set aside for the Covenant as well as the public hearings. I think that’s right because only in small groups will feelings really come through on where the authority needs to be. In hearings perhaps only 20 or so people can actually speak in the time available, which means that 600 or so don’t. The role of the listeners during these particular ‘indaba’ sessions is going to be especially important. On Saturday, all the strands will be pulled together, and then on Sunday our focus will be on what insights we can take home with us from the conference. Of course, that map is not charted yet, but that is no bad thing.

PH: What have been the conference highlights for you so far?

BRH: I’ve mentioned the Archbishop of Canterbury already, but he has shown himself to be so impressive intellectually, prayerfully and spiritually; a prayerful life clearly modelled on Christ.

The bible studies have also been remarkable, with some stunning insights into scripture. I would compare it to snorkelling: you can be in the shallows admiring the fish and then swim out to sea a little and suddenly be aware of the great depths falling away below you; we have had moments of depth like that.

We have also had great moments of humour and people’s life stories are extraordinary. In contrast to the humour, chatting and meeting people reveals the pain of some people’s circumstances. Only yesterday, we heard about the Myanmar floods and were shown some unforgettably powerful and humbling images of corpse-strewn landscapes and of a destroyed church just crumbling into the flood waters. It is salutary to be hearing these stories directly from the people sitting opposite you.

PH: Have you any concluding thoughts?

BRH: It is precious and humbling to be here. I am so grateful and thankful to be here – I consider it an incredible privilege. The global nature of our Communion has been brought home to me and we are experiencing a wonderful atmosphere of sharing. We hugely value the prayers and support of people at home.