THE Archbishop of Uganda, the Most Revd Stanley Ntagali, left the Primates conference in Canterbury after two days, he confirmed in a letter to his Church, published online on Thursday.

He writes: “On the second day of the gathering, I moved a resolution that asked the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada to voluntarily withdraw from the meeting and other Anglican Communion activities until they repented of their decisions that have torn the fabric of the Anglican Communion at its deepest level.

“They would not agree to this request, nor did it appear that the Archbishop of Canterbury and his facilitators would ensure that this matter be substantively addressed in a timely manner.

“Sadly, after two long days of discussions, I was concerned that the process set up for this meeting would not permit us to address the unfinished business from the 2007 Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam.

“In accordance with the resolution of our Provincial Assembly, it was, therefore, necessary for me to withdraw from the meeting, which I did at the end of the second day. It seemed that I was being manipulated into participating in a long meeting with the Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada without the necessary discipline being upheld. My conscience is at peace.

“I have left the meeting in Canterbury, but I want to make it clear that we are not leaving the Anglican Communion. Together with our fellow GAFCON Provinces and others in the Global South, we are the Anglican Communion; the future is bright.”

He concluded: “I have never been more happy and proud to be part of the Church of Uganda.”

The Provincial Assembly of the Church of Uganda had resolved not to participate in any official meetings of the Anglican Communion “until godly order is resolved”. Before the meeting, Archbishop Ngtagali had warned that he would leave unless this was achieved (News, 8 January).

He and other conservative Primates, part of the GAFCON group, called for “discipline” to be administered to the US Episcopal Church, in the light of the 2003 consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire, the Rt Revd Gene Robinson, a partnered gay man. The Dar es Salaam meeting concluded without this being administered.