The primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, and the primate of South Africa, Archbishop Njongon-kulu Ndungane have agreed to work closely in crafting the position of the church in Africa on sexuality.
The agreement came days before a recent meeting of all Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) primates in Nairobi. The members were expected to discuss the future of CAPA in the wake of the realignment of the Anglican Communion, following the controversial consecration of a gay bishop in the United States.
The Church of England Newspaper, meanwhile, suggested that the two primates had made a deal whereby Archbishop Ndungane agreed to “strengthen” the traditionalist position of the African church on homosexuality in return for the backing of other African provinces for the next Lambeth Conference to be held in South Africa in 2008. He had previously been critical of Archbishop Akinola’s declaration of broken communion with the Episcopal Church in the United States.