The Archbishop of Cantebury, Rowan Williams, leaves a Nairobi hotel. He told delegates at a meeting that they came to share their experiences and concerns about the reality of conflicts in the Great Lakes region

"We thank God for some of the progress that has been made in some of the processes of peace-making and democratisation, notably in Burundi. But those who met today are at the same time conscious of the on-going realities of brutal violence and desperate insecurity in many parts of the region," he said at the end of the meeting.

He added: "The need remains to change hearts and minds at the local level and the Church is uniquely placed to make a decisive difference."

He said they had come to share their experiences and concerns about the reality of conflicts in the Great Lakes region and the role of churches, especially the churches of the Anglican Communion, in peace building and the nurturing of the civil society.

And as a church, they had made a commitment to play a leading role in peace initiatives.

"All those involved in today's meeting would wish to renew our commitment to combating violence and conflict in God's name," he told journalists during a media briefing.

However, Archbishop Williams regretted that the region had lost some good opportunities to make peace. "The Church and development agencies, however, acknowledge that there have been missed opportunities, fullstops and gaps between aspirations and actions," he said, adding that no country was safe.

"No country is exempt from the risks of violence and both Britain and Kenya have seen this recently in tragic ways."

Archbishop Williams left Kenya without commenting on the highly divisive issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriages currently dogging his church.

Instead, he only said he had come to "discuss development and conflict resolution matters".

The Anglican Church has been trying to recover from a credibility crisis in Africa following the ordination of a bishop who has publicly stated that he was gay. The move to ordain Rev Gene Robinson in 2003 has pitted African church leaders on the one side and western clerics on the other.

But Archbishop Rowan Williams deliberately steered clear of the controversial debate that is threatening to split the church down the middle. Instead, Dr Williams told journalists he had come to "discuss development and conflict resolution matters".

"We came to share our experiences and concerns about the reality of conflicts in the Great Lakes region and the role of churches, especially the churches of the Anglican Communion, in peace building and the nurturing of the civil society," he told journalists at the end of the meeting.

Throughout his visit to Kenya, the only thing he said about the raging gay unions debate was that he had "nothing new".

Head of the Anglican Church in Kenya, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, confirmed to Nation that they never discussed anything about same-sex marriages. "We did not touch on the issue of homosexuality. We were actually dealing with the conflicts in the Great Lakes region: their causes and how we can work together towards having a peaceful region," he told journalists at a Nairobi hotel.

However, Archbishop Nzimbi said the Anglican Church in Kenya still maintains its stand on the homosexuality debate. "We have stated our stand again and again that marriage is between a man and a woman and we do not support or recognise same-sex unions.

"The Anglican Communion is going by the 1998 Lambeth conference resolution, which recognises only marriage between a man and a woman and any province that has gone against this resolution is doing the wrong thing because homosexuality is not biblical.

Stoke fires

The Bible is the same and we want to adhere to the word of the Lord," he said. While many Kenyans might maintain that by refusing to address the issue of homosexuality, Dr Williams did not achieve much by his visit to Kenya, Bible scholars think otherwise. The Rev John Karanja, the principal of the East Africa School of Theology, says that was the best way not to stoke fires of the controversy.

"He knew that once he was in the continent of Africa, he was treading on slippery ground. By steering clear of the same-sex marriages debate, the Archbishop of Canterbury proved smart enough to save himself," the Rev Karanja said.

Although he was keen to hear what the Archbishop would say about the gay debate, the Rev Karanja notes, he doesn't feel disappointed that he avoided the whole issue.

Of more interest in the debate is the relationship between the African Anglican provinces and the Episcopalian Church - the American arm of the worldwide Anglican Communion - which has plunged the church into controversy by their move to ordain Rev Gene Robinson as the first openly gay bishop in 2003.

Since Robinson's infamous ordination, the 70-million strong Anglican Communion has been in a state of flux.

Several developing countries, mainly from Africa, have either cut links or are contemplating doing so with the US liberals. In fact, immediately the Episcopalian Church ordained Robinson, countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda became the first African countries to declare themselves formally separated from the Episcopalians.

Fronted mainly by Kenya's Archbishop Nzimbi and his Nigerian counterpart Archbishop Peter Akinola, the Africans' position on gay marriages has been unmistakable: homosexuality is anathema in the Church.

Express disgust

Already, a number of the communion's African provinces have declined funding from the American Episcopalian Church to express their disgust at its decision to elect a gay bishop and allow same-sex marriages.

After this week's meeting, Archbishop Nzimbi said: "Since the Episcopalian Church went ahead and consecrated Gene Robinson, we are not going to be with in anything; they have gone against the scriptures and what we agreed all of us as a communion. Relevant Links East Africa Kenya Conflict, Peace and Security Religion

"We have said 'No' to their funding; we are no longer receiving any funds from them. And the church in Kenya is running the normal way. The big departments have just "squeezed" a little bit so that they can use the funds we raise locally. The church is still strong and going ahead."

In April last year, bishops meeting in Nairobi under the 37-million member Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, resolved that congregations accepting funds from wealthy American churches would be banned.

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