Last week the Archbishop of Kenya, the Most Rev Benjamin Nzimbi, consecrated two conservative American bishops to oversee pastoral care for US Anglicans discontent in the Episcopal Church over homosexuality and what conservatives argue is a departure from scriptural authority.
The new bishops are to lead US congregations who have split from the Episcopal Church. Archbishop Nzimbi joins three other African leaders who have set up offshoots in the US to take conservative Anglicans under their wings. The offshoots have been rejected by Episcopal leaders who say alternative oversight from overseas bishops would be "injurious" to the polity of the Episcopal Church.
Days ahead of the September 30 deadline, the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops will meet in New Orleans to discuss the primates' requests. Anglican spiritual leader Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been invited to give an address and answer questions.
Dr Williams has expressed hope but not optimism in the unity of the Anglican Communion.
Meanwhile, Anglican Bishop Trevor Mwamba of Botswana, also dean of the Province of Central Africa, says Anglican churches will soon return to other priorities and abandon a "fixation" with homosexuality.
"Very few of us take the homosexual debate as a top priority issue because there are more pressing issues facing the African church," Mwamba told Ecumenical News International. "Most African Anglicans want to get back to basics and concentrate on poverty, disease, injustice and the need for transparency in governments."
Mwamba said he believes there is still a lot of time for Anglican bishops to agree to attend next year's Lambeth Conference - the decennial gathering of the world's top Anglican leaders. African bishops have threatened not to attend the meeting in protest of the invitation of Episcopal leaders who have not repented over their controversial actions.
"I believe that quite number of African bishops who have threatened not to attend next year's Lambeth Conference in Canterbury may change their minds," he said. "Yes, there are problems, but a week is a long time in politics and we still have almost a year to go before the next Lambeth Conference."
