The debate represents a larger global tension between Christians largely in places like the U.S. and Europe and Christians in places like Africa.
The active membership of the U.S. Canadian and British Anglican churches combined is less than the numbers the Nigerian church has added in the last 15 years, about 20 million members, according to Philip Jenkins, historian at Baylor University.
“Most Christian denominations have the bulk of their members in the Global South, so they will be looking at this very carefully,” Jenkins said.