The Anglican breakaway group set on electing an alternative to the Archbishop of Canterbury has denied causing a Church schism.
Churches in the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) have insisted they are fighting for unity in the Anglican denomination, as they meet in Nigeria for a four-day conference to choose a primate.
The collective refused to acknowledge the Most Rev Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury as their “first among equals,” due to their firm belief in male headship as a biblical doctrine.
GAFCON spokesman Justin Murff told Reuters that the grouping was not seeking to break away from the Anglican Communion but to "reorganise and realign" it to scripture.
"This is not a schism. It is actually a claim to continuity," Murff said.
Formed in 2008, GAFCON says it now represents the majority of practising Anglicans worldwide.
"Logically, it doesn't make sense that 20 people in the UK with very little input from the Global South could actually decide who the global leader of the Anglican Church is," Murff said.
He alleged that it was Western churches, not those in the Global South, who had initially "broken communion" by approving non-traditional biblical doctrines such as same-sex blessings.
Earlier this week, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Rt Rev Anthony Poggo, said he recognised "pain and division" in the Church.
"Christ calls his Church to be one," he insisted. "We have read of GAFCON's intention to pursue alternative approaches to leadership and electing a Chairman. In the Anglican Communion, decisions about how we define the Communion, or approaches to leadership, are taken through the official 'Instruments of Communion' and not outside of them."
He invited GAFCON to engage with the Nairobi-Cairo proposals, which are an attempt to reconcile differences across the Anglican denomination.
"Only by working together and not apart, can we arrive at a deeper place of communion and unity," Archbishop Anthony added.