GAFCON’s appointment of Rev Canon Lines followed the Scottish Episcopal Church’s vote to allow same-sex couples to be allowed to marry in church.

But the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby suggested the move to appoint Canon Rev Lines as a missionary bishop would create needless “disturbance and discords”.

The archbishop said there was no need for a missionary bishop in the Church of England because worshippers could already express a range of views.

In a letter to fellow Anglican leaders, Welby accused GAFCON of a “cross-border intervention” that would “carry no weight in the Church of England”.

GAFCON have denied they are attempting to split the Church. Speaking to Premier, Rev Peter Jensen, GAFCON’s general secretary said the appointment of the bishop “isn’t an attempt to storm Lambeth Palace”.

However, Rev Jensen added, “There are many issues that divide us, where we have diverse opinions, and that’s OK – but some of them are so important that a stand has to be taken. A painful and costly stand. The Primates believe that this present matter is one of those things and the Bible is as clear as can be – that to embrace the view that the practice of homosexuality is OK is wrong according to the Bible.”

Rev Canon Lines told Premier if his appointment led to a divide within the Anglican Communion, the people who voted in favour of gay marriages in the Scottish Episcopal Church were responsible.

He added: “I am staying where the Anglican Communion has always been in its beliefs.”

Most Rev Dr Foley Beach, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America said: “It is my hope that the missionary bishop will lead an effort to plant dynamic churches all over Scotland which are Jesus centred, practising the teaching of the Bible, and holding to the longstanding tradition of the Anglican Faith.”