Anglican group defies church to fight gay ordinations

EPISCOPAL conservatives in the US who are bitterly opposed to same-sex blessings and the ordination of gay clergy have launched a nationwide organisation that plans to defy church leaders and may well wrestle with them for control of parishes and dioceses.

Rather than a schism or breakaway, the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes vows to fight Episcopal Church actions it says “departed from the historic faith and order and have brought immense harm”.

“This has been, for us, a glorious and historic day,” said Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan, elected as network leader after delegates gave a governing charter unanimous approval.