LONDON, August 3, 2008 (AFP) - Anglican clergy from across the world gathered Sunday for the final day of the Lambeth Conference, held once in a decade, amid a bitter row about the topic of gays in the church.

The Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, southeastern England, is a key event for the worldwide Anglican Communion, which has around 77 million followers led by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

About 650 bishops and archbishops attended the 20-day event for intensive sessions of worship, study and conversation at the University of Kent campus.

Williams will conclude the conference at a closing plenary session at 1330 GMT on Sunday, which will be followed by a press conference and worship at Canterbury Cathedral.

'I pray that these days spent in reflection, prayer, discussion and fellowship will bear fruit in the life of the entire Communion in which God has called us to minister,' the Archbishop said ahead of the event.

'The chief aims of our time together are, first, that we become more confident in our Anglican identity, by deepening our awareness of how we are responsible to and for each other; and second, that we grow in energy and enthusiasms for our task of leading the work of mission in our Church.'

Despite the message of unity, this year's Lambeth Conference has been marred by a row about the consecration five years ago of the first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, the bishop of New Hampshire in the United States.

Around 200 bishops, including most of those from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda, are boycotting the meeting because of the issue. There are also moves by bishops from Africa, Australia and the US to create a breakaway grouping in protest at Robinson's consecration.

The BBC news website, which did not cite its source, reported Sunday that the Lambeth gathering was 'likely to end with no agreement on the issue of homosexuality which has threatened to tear the Church apart.'

The report added: 'It seems that a number of the groups have voted for a ban on gay bishops and church blessings for homosexual couples, as part of a long-term plan to preserve at least the core of the Communion.'

Robinson, the first Anglican bishop to live openly in a gay partnership, was not invited to the conference but held events on the sidelines.

The 61-year-old insists he is not alone among the Anglican communion's clergy in being gay, and says he has come to Britain, against the wishes of the Archbishop of Canterbury, to lend them his support.

'I have no interest in being a martyr, I'm just trying to be a good bishop,' Robinson told AFP in an interview over the weekend.

He added: 'There are many clergy in Britain who are living with their partners.

'Many are out to their congregation and out to their bishop. But no one is willing to say it out loud. It's not dishonesty but an unwillingness to be honest.

'I'm here because I would like to make it possible for those who would like to be open and honest to do so.'

Conservative clergy believe that homosexuality runs contrary to religious teaching, but it is an argument that Robinson rejects.