Posted by Washington Times on
Nigeria's 17.5 million Anglicans may split from the Church of England if the British church accepts gay bishops or condones homosexuality.
Nigeria's 17.5 million Anglicans may split from the Church of England if the British church accepts gay bishops or condones homosexuality.
That warning comes from Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, the country's top church official, who says the church's constitution has been rewritten, giving officials the freedom to break away if the British church adopted what he called a "revisionist agenda on homosexuality," reports the Washington Post.
The concern is Britain may follow the lead of the U.S. Episcopal Church, which has accepted a gay bishop.
The denomination has been divided internationally by disagreements over the treatment of gay men and lesbians, and speculation of a full-fledged split has been growing, the Post said.
"I don't think we've come to the point of schism," Akinola said. "We are not breaking away from anybody."
He said there was a "broken relationship" between the Nigerian and British churches, but added, "There is still room for a consolation, for repentance." He denounced "liberal" Western ideas and those who favor an "anything goes" interpretation of the Bible.