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The Anglican Communion might not hold together according to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Archbishop Welby told the Times of London that the issue of the ordination of women and full rights for LGBT people are significant areas of disagreement.
Acknowledging the strength of the individual churches he said the differences among them remain “profound”.
“I think, realistically, we’ve got to say that despite all efforts there is a possibility that we will not hold together, or not hold together for a while,” he said.
“I could see circumstances in which there could be people moving apart and then coming back together, depending on what else happens.”
His comments come at the end of his visit to 38 provinces (country-states) that make up the Anglican Communion.
Canterbury is regarded as the “mother church” in the Anglican world, however the Archbishop said some churches, particularly in Africa, may find it difficult to remain in a single global Anglican Communion.
Canterbury’s authority is being challenged by a global network of conservative Anglican churches known as the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which was formed in 2008. The fellowship is made up of leaders in African, Asian, Australian, South American and some North American churches.
Rod Thomas, chairman of Reform, an evangelical network of English and Irish Anglicans opposed to women bishops and LGBT ordination or unions agrees with the Archbishop, but adds it is something more fundamental than sexuality that’s splitting the Communion.
“It is how attached to the Bible’s teachings do we intend to be,” he added.
Sources
- RNS
- Image: The Independent
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News category: World.
