Episcopal church cracks down on dissidents
Wed Jan 16, 2008
By Michael Conlon, Religion Writer

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church have stepped up a crackdown on conservative dissidents, ordering one bishop to stop his religious work and threatening a second with the same thing.

Both rebuffed the moves.

The worldwide Anglican church and its U.S. branch have been fractured since 2003 when the Episcopal Church consecrated Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the first bishop known to be in an openly gay relationship in over four centuries.

There are also divisions over interpreting the Bible, the ordination of women and the blessing of same-sex unions. the rest