THE Church of Nigeria seems to have excommunicated the Archbishop of Canterbury. In what would seem to be the first move in the gradual unravelling of the Anglican movement, the "Church of Nigeria" has been born and will have branches around the world.

"CHURCH OF NIGERIA REDEFINES ANGLICAN COMMUNION

With a careful rewording of her constitution, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) redefined her relationship with all other Anglican Churches.

All former references to �communion with the see of Canterbury� were deleted and replaced with another provision of communion with all Anglican Churches, Dioceses and Provinces that hold and maintain the �Historic Faith, Doctrine, Sacrament and Discipline of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church�.

Emphasis was also placed on the 1662 version of the Book of Common Prayer and the historic Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion.

The Constitutional change also allowed the Church to create Convocations and Chaplaincies of like-minded faithful outside Nigeria. This effectively gives legal teeth to the Convocation of Anglican Nigerians in Americas (CANA) formed to give a worshiping refuge to thousands in the USA who no longer feel welcomed to worship in the Liberal churches especially with the recent theological innovations encouraging practices which the Nigerians recognize as sin."