Anglican leader faces tough summit to avoid schism
Tue Feb 13, 2007
By Katie Nguyen

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - The spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans invoked the power of prayer on Tuesday to help him save the church from schism over gay priests and same-sex marriages at a crucial meeting this week.

Some commentators say it will be a personal disaster for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams if he fails to reconcile a liberal minority and conservative majority spilt over the issues during a six-day summit that opens in Africa on Wednesday.

"We have a difficult meeting ahead of us with many challenges and many decisions to make," he told reporters as he arrived in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam, which means "abode of peace" in Arabic.

"I hope that all the people of the church will be praying for us as we meet together as the leaders of the Anglican Church worldwide and that God's will be done," he said.

The Tanzania meeting is shaping up to be the biggest clash yet between Global South conservatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America -- where the Anglican church is growing -- and liberals in the more affluent West -- where congregations are shrinking. the rest