But first, the bishops’ spouses lined up for their portrait – except for those in same-sex marriages, who were not invited to participate in official events. As the bleachers slowly filled up, they spontaneously began singing “Amazing Grace,” accompanied by a crying baby.

For the bishops, it was a moment of unity and joy during a conference that has so far been marked by deep divisions. There was no sign of the disputes over sexuality that had boiled over at a morning press conference held by a group of bishops who said they would not take Communion with bishops in same-sex relationships.

Instead, there was a constant stream of lighthearted reunions and a few hymn renditions – some with dances – as they were shepherded into place by photographers and event staff, who directed them through megaphones and sometimes physically moved the bishops into place. The line of bishops stretched halfway around the field before reaching the bleachers.

“Look at me!” the photographer reminded the bishops multiple times as he finally took the photos. “Look at me!”

The spouses’ and bishops’ portraits took almost exactly the two hours marked in the schedule, but there was still one photo left: the female bishops.

The first Lambeth Conference to include female bishops was 1998, when 11 attended. In 2008, there were 18.

This year, there are 97.

“We’ve increased exponentially,” said Michigan Bishop Bonnie Perry.

“There was a lot of cheering – it was fun,” said Indianapolis Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows.