Rowan Williams Tells Warring Anglicans to 'Feel Humility Before God'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Dr Rowan Williams, has called for bishops to feel humility before God, as worldwide Anglican leaders continued a six-day summit in Tanzania, which could have a great influence on the Communion's future.

|PIC1|Dr Williams words came as a fierce debate developed over homosexuality, which threatens to bring the Anglican Communion to the point of schism.

The closed-conference will end Monday. Dr Williams said: "There is one thing that a bishop should say to another bishop. That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great saviour."

The Anglican Church has been seriously divided since 2003 when the US Episcopal Church (ECUSA) ordained the first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson. Since then, the issues of same-sex blessings and the ordination of homosexuals within the Church have made the foundations of the Communion shake.

The crisis deepened in 2006 as the new Presiding Bishop of the ECUSA was installed. Katherine Jefferts Schori, since coming to office has been an outspoken supporter of homosexuality in the Church, which has angered traditionalists, which make up the large majority of the Communion.

As the summit began last week, Friday saw seven conservative Anglican archbishops, led by Rev Peter Akinola of Nigeria, refuse to take communion with Jefferts Schori in protest over her pro-gay stance. In addition, Akinola did not attend Sunday's service; whereas the others involved in the boycott were seen in attendance.

The widening divide has seen conservative Anglicans set up a rival network in the United States to that of the Episcopal Church, under Akinola's leadership. Akinola also leads approximately half of the world's Anglican population, which come under his jurisdiction in Africa.

Many commentators have now made the point that the current warring within the Anglican Communion could see the denomination suffer in Africa, where mission is growing hugely in the Christian and Islamic worlds.

Africa, with a population of about 900 million people, see Islam and Christianity each have approximately 400 million followers, with the competition for converts fierce.

The Anglican Communion is the world's third-largest Christian body behind the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches.

Seeking a way united future moving forward, Williams urged Christians to see and understand others' suffering as Zanzibar commemorates the 100th anniversary of the last sale of a slave, which coincides with the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery in the British Empire.