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Archbishop From Africa Wants U.S. Churches
By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press Writer

October 5, 2004, 4:49 PM EDT

FAIRFAX, Va. -- In a direct challenge to the leadership of the U.S.
Episcopal
Church, an influential Anglican archbishop from Africa is exploring ways to
allow American congregations upset over the election of a gay bishop to
realign
themselves under his jurisdiction.

Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who has been sharply critical of the
U.S.
Episcopal Church's decision last year to consecrate Bishop V. Gene Robinson
in
New Hampshire, said Tuesday he feels obliged to provide a spiritual home to
Nigerians in America who are leaving the church over the issue.

While Akinola said that is his primary goal, he also said he wanted to offer
a
home to any Episcopal parish in America that no longer feels it can abide by
a
U.S. church hierarchy that conservatives see as abandoning a fundamental
Christian teaching condemning homosexuality.

The U.S. Episcopal Church "is creating a new religion in which God almighty
has
declared a sin is no longer a sin," Akinola said at a news conference at
Truro
Episcopal Church in Fairfax, a parish that has withdrawn financial support
from
the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia in protest over Robinson's election. "We
cannot go along with that kind of religion."

The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of the 77-million member Anglican
Communion, the international Christian body that traces its roots back to
the
Church of England. Akinola, as the spiritual leader of 17 million Nigerian
Anglicans, is highly influential in the communion and has previously warned
that
Robinson's election could split the association of churches.

Each Anglican province is autonomous and crossing geographical boundaries as
Akinola plans to do is considered inappropriate by many Anglican Communion
leaders. However, other bishops before Akinola have accepted oversight of
some
conservative congregations in America.

Akinola's visit to the United States comes less than two weeks before the
release of a long-awaited report by a group known as the Lambeth Commission
that
will recommend what course the Anglican Communion should take in response to
the
Episcopal Church's actions.

Robert Williams, a spokesman for the Episcopal Church, said Akinola's plan
"does
not come as a surprise," but church leaders would wait to comment until the
Lambeth Commission releases its report on Oct. 18.

Akinola said his U.S. trip to explore a possible realignment was endorsed by
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the
Anglican
Communion. Canon James Rosenthal, a London spokesman for the communion, said
he
had no information on discussions on the issue between the two leaders.

It is unclear exactly how many Nigerian Anglicans worship in the United
States.
Akinola estimated that there may as many as 250,000, but some church leaders
believe the number is much lower.

"Our people are deserting the Anglican Church as a result" of Robinson's
election, the archbishop said. "We want to recover our people."

But he added that his efforts were not limited to Nigerian Anglicans.
"Whoever
wishes to join would be welcome," he said.

Nine of the 107 Episcopal dioceses in the United States, plus about 240
individual congregations outside of those dioceses, have joined the Network
of
Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, which conservatives formed as a
"church within a church" in response to the theological divide.

In the Diocese of Washington, home to several majority-Nigerian
congregations,
spokesman Jim Naughton said some parishioners expressed unhappiness about
Robinson's election, but that overall the issue has not been a major source
of
concern.

"He's responding to a concern we have not heard expressed," Naughton said.

Akinola said he is just beginning to explore the available options in a
realignment. While he said it's possible the divide could be healed if the
Episcopal Church reverses course in the coming weeks, he also said the need
for
a realignment is long overdue.

"We are already two years behind schedule," he said.
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

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