Anglican bishops from around the world, gathered for the Lambeth Conference, heard a plea for unity from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Justin Welby, as they prepared for a potentially divisive debate on human sexuality.

“We are divided by many things,” Dr. Welby acknowledged. “How do we come together as God’s holy people, as one in Christ?” He applauded calls for spiritual growth, but warned against a tendency to “weaponize” the call to holiness.

The Lambeth Conference will take up a rewritten draft of a statement on sexuality, seeking to avoid a confrontation on same-sex marriage and gender ideology. Many African bishops are boycotting the conference, refusing to participate alongside those who accept homosexual partnerships.