Breaking: Conservative Episcopalians to form rival US province

The fracture of the Anglican communion continues. This time, dramatically:

Conservatives estranged from the Episcopal Church in the United States and its Canadian counterpart are expected to formally announce Wednesday the formation of a rival “province” in the two countries.

Leaders of the new Anglican Church in North America are expected to unveil a draft constitution for the province — or ecclesiastical territorial division — at an evening service at the 1,200-seat Wheaton Evangelical Free Church in Wheaton, Illinois, the group said in a written statement.

“The public release of our draft constitution is an important concrete step toward the goal of a biblical, missionary and united Anglican Church in North America,” Bishop Robert Duncan of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, diocese, said in the written statement.

The move comes after years of debate over several issues, ranging from the interpretation of the Bible to homosexuality. Tensions reached a boiling point in 2003, when the Episcopal Church consecrated an openly gay man, Rev. Gene Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire. (CNN)

Stand Firm is the traditional Anglican blog in America. They have been posting live updates:

BREAKING: Constitution Approved for New Province // From an anonymous (but impeccable) source. That's all we have now. More details as news develops. // The vote to approve the constitution was unanimous, with no abstentions. // 4 of 9 canons have been voted on. The assembly has now broken for lunch. // No more news until the press conference later in the day.

They also have a live video stream from Wheaton where the meeting is taking place.

More links: New York Times, AssociatedPress, UK Telegraph, Dallas Morning News.

I wonder if any conservative pastors, congregations or individuals are considering the Catholic Church as an alternative to this new rival province and the old communion?

update: also checkout Texanglican.

[photo credit: Sally Ryan for the New York Times.]