"This is unfortunate," Parsley, head of the Diocese of Alabama, said
about the formation of the network. "We do not need `a church within a
church.' As the New Testament bears witness, we are to be the church
together, with inevitable differences of opinion at times."

Three of Alabama's largest Episcopal churches had priests at a meeting
in Texas to learn about formation of the network.

"They have been very careful not to use the term schism in any way -
it's a church within a church," said the Rev. John Harris Harper, a
priest on the staff of Cathedral Church of the Advent.

"They want to stay within the Episcopal Church, and network with others
that share biblical orthodox faith," said the Rev. Michael Wycoff,
rector of Christ Episcopal in Tuscaloosa. "It gives those of us who are
biblically orthodox hope to stay in the church."

Harper said he, Wycoff and the Rev. John-Michael van Dyke of Church of
the Ascension in Montgomery were among 130 priests and lay members from
some of the nation's largest Episcopal churches who attended a Wednesday
briefing in Plano, Texas, to explain the network.

Although Parsley voted against approving the Rev. Gene Robinson of New
Hampshire as the first openly gay bishop, he has remained steadfast in
his support of the denomination. "I cannot support those who would
divide and separate us."

Harper said there should be consequences for the denomination's
endorsement of Robinson, who is divorced and lives with his male partner.

"I would like very much to see a cut in the funding to the national
church," Harper said. "Now they take 20 percent of the diocesan budget.
A tithe (10 percent) would be plenty adequate."

The Diocese of Alabama will have its annual convention Feb. 5-7 in
Montgomery, and churches have submitted several resolutions calling for
Alabama to disassociate itself from the national church's vote to
approve Robinson. Some call for a decrease in the funding that goes from
Alabama to denominational headquarters in New York.

"We tend not to debate things of a controversial nature," Wycoff said.
"This year, there is no way to avoid it."

Parsley said he's open to debate at the convention.

"We have a wonderfully open and democratic process at the diocesen
convention, where all voices will be heard," Parsley said. "I will
encourage that process to go forward."

Owns buildings:

Harper noted that in the Episcopal Church, the diocese owns church
buildings, so dissenters can't leave and take their property with them.

"I am not aware of any Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Alabama that
are making a move to leave the Episcopal Church," Wycoff said. "We are
certainly not."

The Rev. Doug Carpenter, rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal in Birmingham
and chairman of the committee that will handle the resolutions, said
only four families out of 500 at his church expressed concern about
Robinson's becoming bishop of New Hampshire.

"You don't leave a family when it's having a disagreement," Carpenter
said. "That's when you need to work together. Normally Anglicans accept
the fact we don't all think alike."

Carpenter said he voted against Robinson, but only because the church
has not addressed the issue of rites to recognize homosexual unions.

"The reservations I had were how we went about it," Carpenter said. "The
rule of the Episcopal Church is that an ordained person has to be either
celibate or married. My preference is that we discuss whether to change
that rule or not, not jump over it to make an exception for New Hampshire."

Carpenter said the denomination should have changed its rules to allow
gay unions if it was ready for an openly gay bishop.

"You'd have to allow for legal gay relationships," Carpenter said.
"We're going to stand firm for lifelong monogamous relationship,
heterosexual or homosexual."

Wycoff agreed such issues need to be resolved.

"It goes to the very soul of the church," Wycoff said. "It's not just
about human sexuality, it's about the authority of Scripture and the
role it plays in the life of the church."

END