Kigali — The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Honourable Rowan Williams invited some Rwandan Anglican Bishops to the Lambeth (UK) Conference 2008, but the Rwandan clergy have "unanimously" decided to boycott the conference, RNA has established.

According to a communiqué from the Episcopal Church of Rwanda, the manner in which the invitations by Archbishop Williams to the bishops of Rwanda were issued is "divisive" as some of "our bishops were not invited".

The Lambeth Conference 2008 will take place on the campus of the University of Kent in Canterbury, from July 16 to August 4, 2008.

Archbishop Williams invited one section of the bishops in Rwanda and left out others because apparently they do not have similar approaches to Anglican faith.

In a letter sent to Rwanda Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini on June 18 2007, the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote, "you should know that I have not invited the bishops of AMiA and CANA".

Mr. Williams added: "This is not a question of asking anyone to disassociate themselves at this stage from what have been described as the missionary initiatives of your Provinces.. I appreciate that you may not be happy with these decisions, but I feel that as we approach a critical juncture of the life of the Communion, I must act in accordance to the clear guidance of the instruments of the Communion.."

Mr. Williams wrote in his invitation that the members of the Anglican Mission (AMiA) and Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) "are not invited" to the Lambeth 2008.

Anglican Mission (AMiA) is part of the Province of Rwanda that was given the role given the responsibility to lead Rwanda's missionary outreach to North America over the issue of ordaining homosexuals.

As for the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) bishops, they have not been invited because they recently took a decision not to associate with provinces that support the American position on homosexuality. Rwanda was also represented at the CAPA meet.

At the CAPA meet, it was agreed that the crisis of faith in the Anglican Communion needed to be resolved before Lambeth 2008. Now the Rwandan clergy says the crisis specifically surrounding homosexual ordinations has not yet been solved.

Another reason the Rwandan bishops say has influenced their decision not to attend Lambeth 2008 is the fact that Mr. Williams has invited the Episcopal Church of America (TEC), the Anglican Church of Canada, and "other like-minded Provinces.

The Rwandan clergy say all the above are now "violating holy orders" by making the decision to "ordain and to consecrate practicing homosexuals".

"From his actions and decision to invite TEC, a province which is violating holy orders, biblical teaching and the tradition of the church, and his decision not to invite the bishops of AMiA and CANA, the Archbishop of Canterbury has shown that he has now taken sides because the Primates have asked TEC for repentance in order to be in communion with them.", reads the communiqué by the Rwandan bishops dated June 26.

The Rwandan bishops also add: "We would like to know if there are instruments in the Communion more important than the Primates and Provinces themselves".

"The Archbishop of Canterbury also refers to the consecration of the AMiA and CANA bishops as irregular. We would like to know why their consecrations are considered irregular when the actions of TEC are not considered irregular."

They added, "we feel that the words of the Archbishop are tantamount to a threat, and we cannot accept this".

The bishops of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda say that "in good conscience" have resolved not to attend unless the previously stipulated requirement of repentance on the part of the TEC and other like-minded Provinces is met.

They also say they will only attend the conference after invitations are "extended to our entire House of Bishops".