Akinola the face of change in Anglican church
January 13,2007
REV. MIKE TURNER

Peter Akinola, Anglican Archbishop of Nigeria, is either a visionary leader or the devil incarnate.A slight, bespectacled man, Archbishop Akinola, 63, from a third-world country struggling with a range of social, economic, and political crises that are almost debilitating, Akinola still has managed to turn the Anglican world upside down; so much so that Time magazine this week listed him among the 100 most influential figures in the world.

The archbishop?s influence is felt in a number of ways. He's first and foremost the spiritual leader of the 17-million strong Nigerian Anglican Church.

From his powerful, national position, Akinola is on the front line of issues with international repercussions, including AIDS, poverty and Christian/Muslim relations.

Akinola also chairs the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, which represents the 37 million Anglicans throughout the continent, and from that position has publicly addressed a number of hot-button issues, especially homosexuality. the rest