PTI

London, Nov 17: Fears of split in the Anglican Church have emerged as a top bishop in Britain has flayed the church for its "wishy-washy" attitude over homosexuality.

The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali told a meeting of conservative evangelicals, who debated proposals for a new "church within a church", that there has been a lack of discipline in the communion.

"No Church can be effective without discipline," stressed said Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester. He underlined that the Church has become too "wishy-washy" and urged evangelicals to stand against the liberal agenda.

The Bishop of Rochester told clergies that the new movement was equivalent to the Reformation in the sixteenth century, which led to the establishment of the Church of England.

"Now we need another movement to keep the Church faithful. I want to keep orthodox Anglicans together," the Daily Telegraph newspaper quoted the top bishop as telling conservative evangelicals, who debated proposals for a new "church within a church".

Traditionalists have been upset that the Episcopal Church escaped punishment despite consecrating Gene Robinson as Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop.

Though the bishop did not name Dr Rowan Williams, delegates at the conference said Nazir-Ali's message was a clear criticism on the Archbishop of Canterbury's handling of the crisis linked to role of homosexuals priests in the church.