The schism in the Anglican Communion over the issue of homosexuality widened further with the Church of Uganda announcing a boycott of the Lambeth Conference. The meeting of the world's Anglican bishops takes place every 10 years at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. It is supposed to be the one occasion when all bishops can meet for worship, study and conversation.
But the Anglican Church in Uganda has long threatened to boycott the conference because it is unhappy the "crisis" surrounding the Communion's stance on homosexuality has not been resolved.
The row over homosexuality flared up following the consecration of an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, as Bishop of New Hampshire in the US in 2003.
The Church of Uganda, and other traditionalist churches in the developing world, criticised Anglican leaders for failing to address how one province in the Communion could make such a move without wider consultation.
The Church of Uganda will now attend a more traditional meeting, the Global Anglican Future Conference, to be held in Jerusalem in June.
Alison Barfoot, assistant to the Archbishop of Uganda for international relations, said: "It's true that the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda is not going to the Lambeth Conference this summer.
"Our bishops in the church of Uganda had advised the Archbishop of Canterbury that the crisis in the Communion needed to be resolved before he convened bishops for the Lambeth Conference, but that didn't happen. They made the decision a long time ago that if the crisis had not been resolved they would not attend."
She said the executive committee that governs the Church of Uganda endorsed the decision of the House of Bishops this week, and it was supported by the whole church.
A Lambeth Conference spokesman said he was as yet unaware of the boycott and could therefore not comment.
But the Anglican Church in Uganda has long threatened to boycott the conference because it is unhappy the "crisis" surrounding the Communion's stance on homosexuality has not been resolved.
The row over homosexuality flared up following the consecration of an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, as Bishop of New Hampshire in the US in 2003.
The Church of Uganda, and other traditionalist churches in the developing world, criticised Anglican leaders for failing to address how one province in the Communion could make such a move without wider consultation.
The Church of Uganda will now attend a more traditional meeting, the Global Anglican Future Conference, to be held in Jerusalem in June.
Alison Barfoot, assistant to the Archbishop of Uganda for international relations, said: "It's true that the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda is not going to the Lambeth Conference this summer.
"Our bishops in the church of Uganda had advised the Archbishop of Canterbury that the crisis in the Communion needed to be resolved before he convened bishops for the Lambeth Conference, but that didn't happen. They made the decision a long time ago that if the crisis had not been resolved they would not attend."
She said the executive committee that governs the Church of Uganda endorsed the decision of the House of Bishops this week, and it was supported by the whole church.
A Lambeth Conference spokesman said he was as yet unaware of the boycott and could therefore not comment.
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