He had not been surprised by the differences he found, which mostly arose from the diversity of very different cultures. He admitted that he disagreed \u201cprofoundly\u201d\u009d with some of their views. The Church of Nigeria and the Episcopal Church in the United States are polar opposites, and the Archbishop was circumspect in speaking of both. He voiced his respect for the way that the Nigerians were coping with the pressures they were facing, especially the challenges of violence and corruption. They, and also the church in Pakistan, faced issues that would \u201cbuckle any other church\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n
And although the church in America almost provoked an open schism with the consecration of an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in 2003, Welby said his visit had been something of a breakthrough. \u201cIt was a real gift in terms of communication. At least there was understanding why we disagreed with each other when we disagreed, rather than simply disagreeing and not understanding each other.\u201d\u009d But he added: \u201cThe situation there is complicated, to put it mildly.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Learning to disagree without hatred has been a theme of the Archbishop\u2019s ministry. He argues that \u201cgood disagreement\u201d\u009d is vital (although some churches did not accept that). He did not want to see the same level of bitterness that had characterised some disputes in the past. There had been a danger, he admitted, of parts of the Anglican Communion drifting into that.<\/p>\n