Canterbury - The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, reminded over 700 bishops gathered here for the Lambeth Conference that they should be channels of faith rather than barriers to it, writes Robert Nowell.
In his opening presidential address, Dr Carey quoted the Anglican theologian Alec Vidler's reminder that people connected the church with unattractive services, tedious homilies, the petty round of ecclesiastical functions and the collection bag. In an addition to his prepared script, Dr Carey referred to the plan by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Bishop Richard Holloway of Edinburgh, to organise a mass throwing of biodegradable mitres into the Thames when the bishops' visit to London next week includes a boat trip on the river, as a protest against bishops dressing like medieval autocrats. "I would gladly fling all my mitres into the river Thames next week if it made any difference to our ministry today," Dr Carey said.