Episcopalians brace for possible church split

Episcopalians across the country reacted today to news that Episcopal bishops appeared to be taking steps toward rejecting several demands made by top Anglicans of the American church, steps that could push the two bodies toward a formal split.

The bishops were to hold a 1:30 p.m. PDT news conference today to explain Tuesday's decision to refuse a demand by Anglican leaders that they provide a special vicar for orthodox congregations and dioceses that oppose the Episcopal Church's positions on issues of homosexuality and biblical teaching. The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the world's third-largest Christian denomination with 77 million members.

The bishops, who have been meeting privately in a retreat near Houston this week, also requested an urgent meeting with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. Read more