Archbishop Justin Welby has called for a meeting of all of the Anglican Communion’s Primates, or chief bishops, reports Premier.
Welby is expected to propose a new structure for the world’s third-largest church body because of deepening divisions between conservatives and liberals.
While some news organizations say the move will “effectively dissolve” the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop’s website is more restrained, saying that the meeting, “would be an opportunity for Primates to discuss key issues face to face, including a review of the structures of the Anglican Communion and to decide together their approach to the next Lambeth Conference.”
According to Premier,
“Most Revd Justin Welby is expected to propose the creation of a two-tier Anglican Church, with Lambeth Palace comparing the proposal to that of a married couple ‘moving into separate bedrooms,’ instead of full scale divorce over the issue.
A Lambeth aide is also quoted as saying the Archbishop doesn't want his successor ‘spending vast amounts of time trying to keep people in the boat and never actually rowing it anywhere.’
The Archbishop believes successful discussions may allow him to maintain relations both with the liberal churches of North America, which recognise and encourage gay marriage, and the African churches, led by Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria, who are agitating for the recriminalisation of all homosexual activity in their countries.”
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