Alarmed by the widening rift in the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury has called for a meeting of leading bishops early next year to tackle the problem brought about by mounting differences among members over the issues of homosexuality and female bishops.
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian community in the world with 80 million members.
The community has been split into two major camps: Liberal Anglican churches in North America and Britain are in favour of same-sex marriages, while their conservative counterparts in Africa strongly oppose this.
To address the issue, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has proposed the loosening of the church's global structure. Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, plans to propose to the 38 national church heads who are expected to attend the January 2016 meeting that the Communion be reorganised as a group of churches that are all formally linked to Canterbury, but no longer linked to each other.
"The difference between our societies and cultures, as well as the speed of cultural change in much of the global north, tempts us to divide as Christians," Welby said. "A 21st-century Anglican family must have space for deep disagreement, and even mutual criticism. We each live in a different context."
Aside from homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and female bishops, Anglican leaders also intend to address religiously-motivated violence and the protection of children and vulnerable adults.
Welby's move is seen as a stark contrast to the strategy employed by his predecessor, Rowan Williams, who wanted to bridge the gap between liberals and conservatives and encourage them to work together globally.
Just this year, the Church of England already consecrated its first female bishop, following the moves made by the churches in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the other hand, Anglican churches in developing countries, especially in Africa, are solidly against female priests and homosexuality.
