As a new year begins, The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a Lambeth Conference prayer journey that shares ‘prayers of hope for the world’.

At a time where the world still faces the challenge of COVID-19 – alongside ongoing issues like climate crisis, poverty and economic injustice, conflict and inequality – the prayer journey invites Christians around the world to join in praying for world issues.

The prayer journey features a wide range of prayers that have been shared by Anglican bishops, clergy and laity. Often recorded via virtual technology during times of lock down – these ‘dialled in’ prayers have been sent from dioceses and nations from across the global Anglican Communion.

Prayers will focus on daily themes of hope, proclaiming good news, pandemic response, people, planet, peace, politics and justice and poverty.

In a video message about the prayer journey, the Archbishop has also shared how the prayer season will mark the start of the Lambeth Conference community journeying together in the lead up to the event which will meet in 2022.

Whilst the fifteenth Lambeth Conference is planned for the summer of 2022, during 2021, the conference community will be invited to take part in a series of virtual or regional discussions on some of the conference themes – in preparation for the gathering.

In his video message, The Archbishop of Canterbury says:

When [The Lambeth Conference] meets – this extraordinary gathering of Anglican bishops and their spouses from around the world – we will seek to grapple with many … world issues as well as matters of common interest in the life of our Anglican Communion.

Journeying together – we must forge a new vision of Anglicanism that is equipped to respond to the needs of a 21st century world. A much changed world. Changed by crisis and by the advances of science. And we must invite the wider Anglican World to share wisdom and insights with us along the way.

To start this journey off – we’ll begin as we always must. In prayer. Prayer that brings us face with our saviour The Book of 1 Peter in chapter 4 exhorts us to “be alert” and of a “sober mind” so that we can pray. So that we can love one another deeply and to offer hospitality to one another.

In such difficult times – and with our world facing such challenges– we need to listen to God; to be alert to the needs of the world and to love one another as we share our prayers and our needs.

So we are inviting the Lambeth Conference Community – and the Wider Anglican World – to join us in a season of prayer. Starting during January, we will be sharing different prayers that are being sent to us from bishops, clergy and laity all around Anglican Communion.

The season of prayer will include prayers from The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, Bishop Michael Curry (Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church), Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town, Archbishop Daniel Sarfo (Kumasi, Ghana (West Africa), Bishop Pradeep Samantaroy, Amritsar, North India, Bishop Coadjutor Samy Shehata, Egypt and Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada – and many more.