Anglicans may get rotating global figurehead under reform plans
SHIFTING GRAVITY
The Communion's centre has been shifting from Canterbury for decades, with its churches in Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya together home to a third of all Anglicans, countries where homosexuality remains illegal.
While attendance at CoE churches has risen in the past four years, that follows decades of falls, and Linda Woodhead, head of theology at King's College London, said the CoE had hurt its reputation in Britain by trying to preserve its historic global leadership.
'It's not keeping the allegiance ... of the population for which it's meant to be the official established church,' she said.
The CoE declined to comment on the suggested reforms as the selection of the 106th archbishop is under way. The Anglican Communion office said the proposals 'would not take away' the archbishop's historic global role, but explore ways to share some responsibilities.
GAY CLERGY
The disconnect in the Communion is felt acutely by gay clergy like Charles Bączyk-Bell in London, who had to marry his partner in an Anglican church in New York, as the CoE stands by its teaching that marriage is between a man and woman.
He said he sometimes found it very difficult to hold together his identity with that of a CoE priest.
'There was a sense of sadness that we couldn't do it about friends and family at home ... it's meant to be the day when you feel most at home,' he said.
Baines said the next archbishop shouldn't be fearful, given they will inherit a 'broken Communion'. Bishop Joanne Grenfell supports a more collegiate model.
'I feel passionate about the Anglican Communion, but the role of Archbishop of Canterbury, that's enormous,' Grenfell said.
'Perhaps a bit too big for one person.'
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