Rt Reverend Andrew Andrew Watson, the Bishop of Guildford, provides his Day 1 blog from the Lambeth Conference. He writes...

"The Lambeth Conference proper started today, after a relaxing chance for people to acclimatise (and get over their jet lag) on Wednesday. The bishops (around 650 of us in all) met for Day 1 of a Retreat in Canterbury Cathedral, with Bishop Jo and myself leading an enthusiastic walking party from our University base – and had excellent input in a number of different languages punctuated by Morning Prayer, a lunchtime Eucharist and Evensong; while the spouses programme also began with a Retreat and chance to engage in smaller groups for Bible Study and Prayer.

"How amazing to meet together with bishops from all over the world, with memorable conversations about the effects of ongoing conflict in South Sudan, of endemic persecution in Pakistan, of climate change in Melanesia; and how humbling to be reminded that the Church of England is only a very small part of a most extraordinary global movement. I imagine there will be challenges in the coming days – but it’s been a really positive start."