The leader of the Anglican Church's Global South group of conservative churches has condemned The Episcopal Church of the US for not showing "repentance" or a true change of heart over its liberal pro-gay agenda.

The Archbishop and Primate of Nigeria, Dr Peter Akinola, said the US church's pledge to put the consecration of any more gay bishops on hold and not to authorise same-sex blessings did not meet the demands made of it by the Anglican Communion's primates in Tanzania last February.

Dr Akinola said: "The unequivocal assurances that we sought have not been given. What we have is a carefully calculated attempt to win support to ensure attendance at the Lambeth Conference and continued involvement in the life of the Communion."

He said the US bishops at their meeting in New Orleans this week had failed to embrace traditional teaching.

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Background

• Gay weddings flourish in a religious stronghold

• Pope to discuss influx of Anglicans

• US Church pledges not to consecrate gay bishops

• Bishop defects to Catholic Church in gay row

Background

• Pro-gay agenda pushes Church closer to schism

• Archbishop of Canterbury's 'secret gay communion'

• Archbishop faces clash over gay marriages of 50 priests

"Instead of the change of heart, repentance, that we sought what we have been offered is merely a temporary adjustment in an unrelenting determination to 'bring the rest of the Communion along' as stated by a bishop at one of the press conferences. We also note that while we have repeatedly asked for a moratorium on same-sex blessings -across The Episcopal Church the clergy have continued with these blessings with the full knowledge and support of the diocesan bishops even if not technically authorized."

His statement came as leaders of the worldwide Anglican Church admitted the communion is "at a crossroads" after the US Episcopal Church went as far as it could to halt its pro-gay liberal agenda and avert schism but failed to satisfy other conservatives as well as Dr Akinola. Archbishops and bishops on the Church's central policy - making body admitted talks between US bishops in New Orleans over the gay crisis in the Church had been "honest, direct and even painful at times."

Members of the Anglican Communion's Joint Standing Committee had been present at the meeting and "spoken in a way which could be seen as challenging or even offensive to the Bishops of the Episcopal Church," a committee spokesman said in a statement. "The past few days have been a time of enormous learning and growth in mutual understanding," the spokesman admitted. "The Joint Standing Committee is also conscious that the very life of the Communion is standing at a crossroads at present.

“The Anglican Communion is a family of 44 autonomous churches. There is no central body which can pass judgement or issue directions for the life of the Communion," the committee said in its statement. At the same time, however, it is the responsibility of the Instruments of Communion to enable conversation and discernment between the provinces and churches."

The committee will now send a report to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, on the six-day meeting in New Orleans, which he attended for two days and where The Episcopal Church agreed a temporary halt to its liberalising agenda to save their communion's unity. The American bishops also approved a “flying bishops” proposal for traditionalists unable to accept the liberal agenda of the Church, including the election of a woman as Presiding Bishop and the ordination of the openly gay Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson.

Early reaction from the conservative wing of the Church indicated that the pledges will not go far enough to prevent as many as five dioceses from seeking oversight from a more conservative Anglican province in the Global South grouping of evangelical and traditionalist churches. A group under the banner of the new Common Cause partnership is meeting this week to discuss future strategy.

One conservative leader said that the statement by the American bishops represented “two fingers” to the Communion. Nevertheless, the decisions to put a hold, even if temporary, on the advance of the pro-gay liberal agenda represents a huge concession for the US province, a church that has prided itself on championing the “inclusive gospel” by standing up for the rights of homosexuals, women, the deprived and all marginalised and outcast groups in society.

The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, which has led the campaign for equal rights for lesbian, gay and transgender people within the Church of England, was among those angered by the US bishops' restraint.

The Rev Martin Reynolds, a priest in Wales who is a former neighbour of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and is spokesman for the movement, described his "profound disappointment" and continued: “We believe this attempt to suck up to the homophobes will come to nothing. They have already decided not to believe anything the leaders of The Episcopal Church say and are quite happy to ditch Canterbury and go it alone."

“The schism will continue and I predict by this time next year, every disappointed American cleric who wants to be a bishop, will have his wish,” Rev Reynolds said, “Lesbian and gay bishops, priests, deacons and lay people will continue to love and serve God in His Church while these bishops fall deeper into malice. We will pray for them.”

However, another campaigning gay organisation, Changing Attitude, was more optimistic. The Rev Colin Coward, director, said the US Church had acceded to requests made by the communion's primates in Dar es Salaam in February in order to avert a "tear in the fabric" of their church. But he said that, long term, there was evidence that attitudes towards gay people in the Church were becoming more positive.

Mr Coward said events in Nigeria and other provinces showed conservatives that homosexuals were present and active in Anglican congregations in Africa. “Their integrity and the stories they are beginning to tell to the Communion will help our church revise its understanding of homosexuality and lead to a reinterpretation of scripture and tradition."