Nigeria ? Nigeria’s top Anglican Church official warned Thursday that his 17.5 million members would have to sever their historic ties with the Church of England if it follows the lead of of the U.S. Episcopal Church by accepting a gay bishop or otherwise condoning homosexuality.

Archbishop Peter Akinola, the leader of traditionalist forces in the Nigerian church, said its constitution had been rewritten this month in order to give its officials the freedom to break away if the British church adopts what he called a “revisionist agenda on homosexuality.”

The changes deleted all references to the Church of England in Canterbury, the historic home of the Anglican faith. The denomination has been divided internationally by disagreements over the treatment of gays and lesbians, and speculation of a full-fledged split has been growing.