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The archbishop of Canterbury has declared that conservatives’ plans to usurp his leadership in the Anglican Communion are “problematic in all sorts of ways,” saying Anglicans must renew— not dismiss—their now-frayed connections.

Archbishop Rowan Williams responded June 30 to a summit in Amman, Jordan, and Jerusalem of more than 1,000 conservatives who had announced plans to create a new council of top archbishops to oversee like-minded Anglicans.

An independent, pre–Lambeth Conference gathering in the Holy Land of Anglican conservatives who oppose churches they consider too liberal on gay and scriptural issues was expected to attract up to 1,000 participants to the June 22-29 event in Jordan and Jerusalem.

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) reported that participants from 17 Anglican provinces would include 280 bishops, although “final attendance figures will depend on smooth processing of requested visas and other factors,” it announced.