Williams appeals for gay compromise as US dioceses plan split
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent, in Columbus, Ohio
(Filed: 15/06/2006)

A number of conservative Anglican dioceses are poised to break-away from the liberal American Church over the issue of homosexuality, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

In a development that will dismay the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, several American dioceses have held secret discussions about leaving the Episcopal Church and realigning themselves to a sympathetic conservative province.

So far only individual parishes have split from their mother Church because they reject its liberal stance, but entire dioceses would represent a huge escalation in the fracturing of the 70 million-strong global Anglican communion.

Insiders said that up to three dioceses were advancing with their plans and others were exploring the possibility, but they faced complex legal and practical hurdles.

The disclosure came at the start of a critical few days for the worldwide communion, during which the Episcopal Church's General Convention, its General Synod, will decide whether to rein back its liberal agenda or risk schism. the rest