Performing services in a bishop's territory without his permission is a breach of Episcopal church law.

Wednesday, the denomination's House of Bishops released a statement calling the actions "discourteous, disruptive and a willful violation of our Constitution and Canons."

They warned that if it happens again, the clergy members will be brought to trial.

Allison said Thursday he found the bishops' censure hypocritical.

"The House of Bishops is willing to censure and threaten five bishops crossing diocesan lines to support faithful Episcopalians," he said in the statement. "At the same time they are unwilling to censure or even dissociate themselves from denials of the faith among themselves. This is a clear testimony to the bishops' attempt to establish our Episcopal unity on canons (church rules) rather than the Christian faith."

Allison didn't use the word hypocrisy in his statement but said that's exactly what he meant when asked on the phone.

When asked if he plans to perform confirmations in other dioceses without the permission of the resident bishops, Allison said, "I think we probably will. The main issue is not sexuality. It's a departure from the authority of Scripture."

While censuring Allison for crossing geographical boundaries, the bishops have refused to censure retired Newark, N.J., Bishop John Spong, who publicly denied every tenet of the orthodox Christian faith in his "12 Theses," Allison said. The most revealing action at last summer's General Convention was when the bishops voted down a resolution affirming the Episcopal Church's commitment to the Bible, he said."Their departure from Scripture to pander to the pressures of this present age has been a major factor in the loss of 400,000 Episcopalians in a decade supposedly devoted to evangelism," he said in the statement.

The original statement was also signed by retired West Tennessee Bishop Alex Dickson, who is based at All Saints Church of Pawleys Island. Dickson was one of the five retired bishops who performed the confirmations. The online version also had the names of Bishops Maurice Benitez, William Cox and William Wantland.

The House of Bishops outlined a plan for alternate oversight this week at their meeting in Texas. Theological conservatives such as the American Anglican Council rejected it, saying it leaves too much control in the hands of the bishops.

Allison is working independently of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, of which S.C. Bishop Edward Salmon Jr. is a charter member.

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