Concern over bishops’ attendance at Gafcon meeting

Sir, – As a member of the Church of Ireland now living in London and currently on holiday in west Cork, I read with dismay of the attendance of two of the bishops of the church at the Gafcon conference in Jerusalem ("Bishops' presence at Gafcon an 'absolute disgrace' ", Home News, June 25th).

I can assure the Dean of Waterford and the Rector of Celbridge that they are not alone in their deep disquiet at this revelation and that those of us in the pews – both in this jurisdiction and beyond – will not allow the fracturing of our precious unity, both in national churches and in the communion as a whole, by those attempting to destroy such unity by stealth.

As an adjunct I am wondering whether funds from the respective dioceses of Bishops Miller and Glenfield were used towards their attendance at a conference whose aim is to seriously divide the church and to encourage schisms?

The aims of Gafcon are about as far removed from the message of Christianity as one can get. – Yours, etc,

READ SOME MORE

MIKE LAWLOR,

London.