Kampala — The Church of Uganda will not backtrack on its stand against homosexuality.

The world-wide Anglican Communion is in crisis after the Episcopal Church in the United States approved a gay man on Tuesday as the new bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire.

Canon Dr Jackson Turyagyenda, the provincial communication secretary, said yesterday that the Anglican Church in Uganda issued a statement on July 8 denouncing the impending enthronement of a gay bishop in Oxford, England, and the acceptance of gay marriage in Canada.

"We opposed the two incidents and our stand remains the same. No one, not even an institution will force us to change on that decision," Turyagyenda said.

The gay man destined to have been the bishop in Oxford withdrew his nomination in the face of stiff opposition from some Anglicans around the world.

Turyagyenda said the incidents in the Episcopal Church in America were very unfortunate for the church as an institution and for society.

"We are very disappointed with our brothers in America, but we think we shall get an amicable solution to the problem," he said.

He said the House of Bishops in Uganda disapproves of homosexuals and therefore could not accept them to lead the church.

"Our stand on homosexuality, celibacy, lesbianism and other sexual deviations are clear cut and will not change," Turyagyenda said.

"It is very unfortunate; how can the US church ignore the teachings of the Bible?" he said.

He, however, refused to comment on whether the Church of Uganda would agree with the conservative bishops in America who have threatened to break away.

The Most Rev. Dr Rowan Williams, the head of the Anglican Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury, has also said that the issue of homosexuality would have an impact on the church world-wide.