African bishops mull 'gay' funds

Bishop Robinson's appointment has split the Anglican Church

Anglican church bishops in Africa are meeting in Kenya to decide whether to continue receiving money from western churches that ordain gay bishops.

Anglicans have split over the issue with African traditionalists opposing the appointment of gay bishops.

Although two-thirds of Anglicans are in the developing world, the wealth of the church still resides in the West.

The work of African churches is, to a large extent, funded by donations from rich Western congregations.

The BBC's Ishbel Matheson in Nairobi says the implications of severing financial ties over a contentious article of faith will need to be carefully considered.

Budget

Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who leads the grouping, has denounced the ordination of gay bishops as a Satanic attack on God's church.

Many have strongly condemned the appointment of the openly gay bishop Gene Robinson in the United States.

But if the African bishops were to refuse a significant portion of those funds, it may affect the church's crucial work among the poor and destitute.

In Africa's slums and in impoverished rural areas, religious organisations provide vital medical and social services.