While worldwide attention is focused on discord and divisions within the Anglican Communion, Anglican women and girls are uniting to make their voices heard on issues of poverty and women's empowerment through a new book of prayers.

In the aftermath of a tense Anglican Primates (provincial heads) meeting in Tanzania, under-fire Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church in the United States has briefed the community of people who work at the denomination's Centre in New York on how oversight will be offered to a church divided on issues of sexuality and biblical interpretation.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who is spiritual head of the fractious 78-million strong worldwide Anglican Communion, has described the decisions taken by the recent Primates (heads of provinces) meeting in Tanzania as a trust-building exercise to preserve unity in the face of disagreement.

For the past 48 hours the websites, newsgroups and email lists of Anglicans across the world have been abuzz with analysis, argument and counter-argument concerning the outcome of the Anglican Primates (heads of provinces) meeting in Tanzania, which ended earlier this week.

The Archbishop of Southern Africa has responded robustly to a recent threat made by some African Anglican heads who say that they will not attend the forthcoming Primates Meeting in Tanzania in February 2007 because of the presence of US Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.