By Matthew Davies

Describing themselves as representing the “broad center” of the Episcopal Church, six U.S. bishops were welcomed Oct. 23 as guests of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams at his London residence, Lambeth Palace.

“Our message was to say that the Episcopal Church is not a perfect church, but … it is alive, it is well, it is vital, it is pursuing the mission that God has set before it,” said Bishop Clifton Daniel of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina in an interview with ENS following the meeting. “I came away as thankful for the Episcopal Church at this meeting as I did for the Archbishop of Canterbury — and I’ll continue to give it everything I have to further its mission and its life.”

During their 90-minute meeting, the church leaders discussed a variety of topics and concerns facing the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, including the development of an Anglican covenant, cross-provincial interventions, human sexuality issues, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Episcopal Church’s focus on domestic and global mission.