In their conversations, Porter admitted that the Pilling Report was an "ill-conceived exercise...because it was formulated by a male only group." It was marked by a lack of coherence and incompetence in the Church, he added.

Coward said Lambeth Palace has effectively been buying time, which some describe as kicking the LGBTI issue into the long grass yet again. The ABC's more pressing issue was to spend the first two years of his archiepiscopate meeting every Primate in the Communion and doing church "stuff."

Porter than made the grand admission that the Church of England Province is the primary problem for the Anglican Communion because the other Provinces no longer really know what the Church of England is!

Welby admitted he could not get a consensus on sexuality issues when he ran around the communion. The issue is so explosive in the Global South that he could not even discuss it in private talks with Nigerian Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, VOL has been told told.

GAFCON primates led by Kenyan Archbishop Eliud Wabukala have exposed and berated the manipulative attempts by certain Western Anglican provinces, most notably the Episcopal Church, in their efforts to buy loyalty from African Provinces made vulnerable over poverty issues.

Porter further admitted that the issue is missiological. Because there is no decision-making process and no consensus in the Church on how the Church should respond. He acknowledged that there are diverse and contradictory responses to the issue of sexuality and gender in the Church.

Coward then said Porter conceded that the church is in fact planning for fracture. "The intention is to change the tone of the conversation and take some of the toxicity out of it, acknowledging that there is no agreement between us and Reform."

"David assumes there will be a fracture and when it happens, it will be small and done with profound sadness, with a measure of grace, disagreeing well. Conversations are a process."

Coward added that maybe 80% of the Church of England will hold together with fractures at either end of the spectrum.

"Porter believes the General Synod can't put off a debate and vote on the core issues affecting the place of LGBTI people in the Church of England beyond the February 2017 meeting. This for me was the most significant new piece information I gained. Porter does not control the timetable or agenda of General Synod, but he does have direct authority from the Archbishop of Canterbury, so this ambition may well be realized."

Coward reported Porter as saying that while the Mutual Conversation process is NOT a decision-making process in the Church of England, there IS would be change at General Synod and secretariat level. He said the coming Synod elections will be fought on this platform.

"There are still too many unknowns, and it's hard to identify the moment at which something reaches a catalytic point," concluded Coward.

END