Hope25 Project Officer, Rev Christy Capper, is interviewed for the Lambeth Conference website:
The Lambeth website has a special coverage on the Lambeth Call to Mission and Evangelism throughout March 2025. For a printable PDF of this Lambeth call, see below:
LAMBETH CALL
MISSION AND EVANGELISM
1 Introduction
1.1 As those called to serve Christ in episcopal ministry in Anglican churches, we rejoice to announce this call for Evangelism.
1.2 The people of God are chosen, set apart, equipped, and sent into God’s world ‘that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light’ [1 Peter 2:9]. For we who are recipients of God’s great mercy in Christ, we who have been given ‘new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’, we who have an ‘inheritance that can never spoil or perish’, have been filled by the Holy Spirit ‘sent from heaven’ who turns us from serving ourselves to announce the beautiful gospel – which angels have longed to look at – to all. Our unity of spirit, our lives lived in response to the grace that is ours, our suffering, our commitments, service, hospitality and hope are lived that all may glorify God who comes as judge of all people.
2 Declaration
2.1 Every church across the Anglican Communion joyfully and courageously shares this vocation to declare the good news of God’s salvation of the world in Christ Jesus. Our first Mark of Mission commits us: To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.
2.2 Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel of the one who was dead but is now alive – Christ Jesus and the Kingdom of God he inaugurates. Empowered by the Holy Spirit every Christian is a witness to Jesus Christ.
Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence
[1 Peter 3:14-16]
2.3 All of our mission and evangelism begins with the mission of God; God chooses to be for us in creating and redeeming love to be for us. Christ Jesus is the great evangelist who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is working constantly, faithfully and radically to draw all people to himself. Pope Francis states, ‘it is first and foremost the Lord’s work.’ Empowered by his Holy Spirit, he calls his people to work with him, as his agents of the good news.
2.4 Every church in our Communion has its origin in the mission of God. In 597 St Augustine arrived in Canterbury, sent by Pope Gregory the Great, to herald the good news. Our Communion is testament to the vocation and power of the good news of Christ in every country and culture. Each church was first established because God sent someone to proclaim the good news of Christ and, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, the church was formed in response.
2.5 As those called to oversight, we are those charged with leading the mission of the church; we are an apostolic sign of Christ’s commission to preach the Gospel to the entire world, making disciples of all people of every nation.
3 Affirmation
Compelled by the love of Christ, that been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, we are convinced of the world’s need to receive the salvation and redemption the gospel proclaims – that all whom God has made hear the good news, in such a way that they can respond in faith to all God has done in Christ. The good news of grace and mercy, of repentance and forgiveness, of reconciliation and stewardship, of hope and eternity is a message which the world is dying without hearing. But it is to this fallen world that the gospel is addressed. “God loves human beings. God loves the world. Not an ideal human,
but human beings as they are; not an ideal world, but the real world” [Bonhoeffer]. God calls every person through his great love, therefore it matters that those who have never heard this good news can hear it in a way they understand, so that they can respond to it. The Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts so that we live as faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ.
4 Specific Requests (The Calls)
4.1 Each diocese and every church to seek fervently to be renewed by the wonder and power of the good news of Christ.
4.2 Each diocese and every church to commit to prayer, listening and discernment, in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we might live to bear faithful witness to Christ and authentically proclaim the gospel. This to include praying for the Holy Spirit to work in hearts and minds so that the message of the gospel would be received and bear fruit.
4.3 In obedience to Christ’s own charge, every church to commit itself to actions which intentionally present the good news of Christ so that all might hear the call of Christ and follow Him.
4.4 Every Christian joyfully to embrace the calling to be a witness to Jesus Christ, praying that through this at least one other person each year might come to faith and grow as a disciple.
4.5 That we as the Anglican Communion pray for each other in this ministry and commit to listen to, learn from and find encouragement together in this Call.
4.6 For bishops to be equipped and enabled to lead in this evangelism. Following the apostolic example, we bishops are to lead the people of God in God’s world in bold proclamation.
4.7 For each diocese to cherish, train, send and receive evangelists.
4.8 For each diocese to make a fresh and creative commitment to revitalize churches and to plant new congregations in contextually appropriate ways, to reach those who have not yet heard the Gospel.
4.9 For the churches that are persecuted to be supported in their witness, that they may be protected and stand firm in their faith.
4.10 We call on the Secretary General to support and follow the progress in these areas with the help of the Commission on Evangelism and Discipleship, and to report back to the next ACC.