NEWS Malawi Anglican bishop threatens rift over gay bishop August 12, 2003 BLANTYRE, Malawi - Malawi's top Anglican leader said Monday he was considering severing ties between his 600,000-strong flock and the U.S. Episcopal Church if it does not reverse its confirmation of a gay bishop. Archbishop Bernard Malango, who heads the church in Malawi, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, said his members refused to support "the odd and unnatural" decision by the U.S. branch of the Anglican church to confirm Bishop-elect V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay cleric. "We can't support Canon Robinson's election because it is not compatible with our tradition and faith, and if they insist on having him as bishop, we will cut ourselves away from the operation of the U.S. church," he said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press (AP). The U.S. church set off an uproar last week when it confirmed Robinson, a divorced gay man. Anglican bishops in Africa, Asia and Latin America condemned the vote, with some threatening to sever ties with the U.S. church. The South African branch of the church tends to be more liberal than others in Africa and its leadership said last week the sexual orientation of bishops does not matter as long as gay bishops remained celibate. Malango said a crisis meeting of 12 African Primates, a group of bishops, has been scheduled for Nairobi, Kenya next month. The African churches will lose vital funding from the U.S. church if they sever ties. Malango said a US$100,000 grant for the Anglican Church in Rwanda has already been frozen. "But we cannot sell the Lord for pieces of silver," he said. Sapa-AP Related stories Malawi: Churches condemn condoms in prisons South African Anglicans celebrate priest's birthday Ugandan Anglicans to cut links with US gay bishop's diocese British gay bishop's approval threatens Anglican communion split UK Archbishop urges care after gay US bishop appointment Cape Town Anglican archbishop calls for dialogue on gay bishop