Accra, March 9, GNA - The Anglican Church is ready to break up with the provinces of the United States and Canada if they failed to adhere to the church's decision to withdraw the consecration of Bishop Dean Robertson and also stop blessing marriages of same sexes.

The Reverend Dr Justice O. Akrofi, Archbishop of Accra and Primate of Church of the Province of West Africa, said this at a press conference organised by the Church to highlight its stand after the last Primates meeting in Northern Ireland.

He said a Commission was established last year to probe the gay crisis occasioned by the election and consecration of a self-confessed gay bishop, Dean Robertson of New Hamphire, USA and the blessing of marriages of same sexes in the Church in Canada.

The meeting has granted the two provinces a three-year period to enable them to respond to decisions of the Primates of the Anglican Communion.

He said for the time being, the two provinces had been asked to withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council Meetings, the highest decision-making body of the church, until they came to terms with the teaching of the Church not to ordain or consecrate gays as priests or bishops.

Archbishop Akrofi said the withdrawal of their membership was necessary because the stand of the two provinces was unacceptable to a sizeable part of the Anglican Communion and even within their own respective provinces.

He said the Commission's report was an opportunity to re-envision the identity of the Anglican Communion.

Archbishop Akrofi said the gay crisis was not the only issue facing the Church adding that the crisis must be seen in broader perspective so that other issues, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which posed challenges to the Gospel and to the Christian life, were not overlooked and relegated.