ARCHBISHOP Peter Carnley has announced he will step down as the head of the Anglican Church in Australia early next year, triggering a ballot for a new primate to lead the nation's 3.8 million Anglicans.
Dr Carnley, considered a liberal within the church, is to retire as primate and Archbishop of Perth more than 2 1/2 years before he would have had to vacate the positions at the age of 70.
It paves the way for a possible battle within the church between liberals and hardliners on its future direction.
Dr Carnley's successor as primate will be voted on by bishops from the church's 23 Australian dioceses, and a similar number of Anglican clergy and lay workers.
Dr Carnley, 66, was a controversial choice for primate when he was elected by his peers four years ago because of his liberal views on gays, the ordination of women and his strong stand on Aboriginal land rights.
He was chosen over then Brisbane archbishop Peter Hollingworth, who went on to become governor-general before stepping down last May over complaints about the way he had dealt with child sex allegations in the church.
Dr Carnley, who has been the Archbishop of Perth since 1981, wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and his fellow Australian bishops on Tuesday telling them of his decision to retire early.
Dr Carnley was unavailable for comment yesterday, but in a statement said that he was giving more than a year's notice to ensure a smooth transition for his successors.
He will take leave in February next year and formally retire in May. He plans to move with his wife, Ann, to a property they own in Western Australia's southwest.
Dr Carnley said he and his family had "flourished" after moving from Queensland to Perth in 1981, where 11 years later he became the first Australian bishop to ordain women priests.
"Naturally, there have been some ups and downs, but generally speaking the downs have been few, and overshadowed by far by the positively life-giving and good things we have experienced," he said