Archbishop Okoh -- recently elected as chairman of the influential "Gafcon" (Global Anglican Future Conference) group of clerics -- also pointedly gave his backing to a new breakaway network of churches in England, set up outside the control of the Church of England.

His intervention is the clearest sign yet of a renewed threat of schism within Anglicanism.

It follows the decision by one Nigerian diocese last week to break off ties with the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool because of the appointment of an American bishop who supports same-sex marriage to a special role in the area.

Last month there was also anger among traditionalists after a cleric from the Church of England's Oxford diocese took part in a celebration of Desmond Tutu's daughter's same-sex wedding in South Africa.

A line has been crossed in the Church of England itself ... The false teaching of the American Episcopal Church has been normalised in England, said Archbishop Nicholas Okoh.

Anglicanism has been in turmoil for the last 13 years since TEC ordained its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson of New Hampshire in a breach with traditional teaching on marriage.

Conservatives said this was an abandonment of Biblical teaching and accused the Americans of heresy, alongside the Anglican Church of Canada which also takes a liberal line on sexuality.

Relations were further strained recently when TEC changed its official canon of marriage to include same-sex couples.

But the possibility of a break-up appeared to have receded after a make-or-break summit in Canterbury in January involving the leaders -- or primates -- of almost 40 national churches.

In a deal brokered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, they agreed to "walk together" despite their differences but imposed sanctions on Tec, including barring it from key bodies for the next three years.

Gafcon leaders claim that deal has now been reneged upon at a follow up meeting in Lusaka in April.

They were also angered by the appointment of the Rt Rev Susan Goff as an assistant bishop in Liverpool as part of a twinning arrangement with her diocese in the US.

The Diocese of Akure in Nigeria responded by cutting its own long-standing ties with Liverpool.

In a pastoral letter, Archbishop Okoh said the original "focus of concern" for Gafcon leaders had been the churches in North America but added: "Now our concern is increasingly with the British Isles.

"A line has been crossed in the Church of England itself with the appointment of Bishop Susan Goff, of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, as an Assisting Bishop of Liverpool.

"The false teaching of the American Episcopal Church has been normalised in England."

He added that Gafcon was standing in "solidarity" with the leaders of the Anglican Mission in England -- a network of traditionalist churches outside the Church of England - at "this testing time".

A source close to Gafcon added: "All of these things together are like a tidal wave.

"The fragile trust that enabled the last Primates Meeting to take place in January hangs in the balance.

"The relationship between Akure and Liverpool is clearly broken and a lot now depends on how the Church of England responds to what has been done by one of their own dioceses.

"The Gafcon primates as a whole are paying careful attention. There is a high level of awareness about what is going on in England and there could be global repercussions, both for things done and left undone."

Despite the tensions that beset us, the Anglican Communion still testifies to the love of the God who brings us together The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev Paul Bayes.

The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt. Rev Paul Bayes, said the decision by the Diocese of Akure to cut its ties was a source of "regret".

"I would prefer to walk together with Akure as well as with Virginia, within the one Communion whose life we share," he said.

"Despite the tensions that beset us, the Anglican Communion still testifies to the love of the God who brings us together.

"In Liverpool I want us to play our part in this testimony of love."

END