In an act of independence, the churches say they have been assigned their own bishop for spiritual oversight by a national network of conservative churches, according to the Rev. R. James Tasker, pastor of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Bay Village.

The churches are not disclosing the bishop's name, but Tasker said the prelate will be available for spiritual care to Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Luke's, both in Akron; St. Anne in the Fields in Madi son; St. Ste phen's in East Liverpool and St. Barnabas. The same five churches created an uproar last month when they brought in conservative bishops for a confirmation service in an Orthodox Church.

"Bishop Hollingsworth faces an uphill battle to avert the crisis and curb the mounting membership and money losses in the diocese," Tasker said in a statement Wednesday. "It will take nothing less than a return to biblical faith to restore trust and any sense of normalcy."

Hollingsworth declined to comment Wednesday.

But in a recent interview and in a talk with diocesan priests last week, Hollingsworth said he will do all he can to respect the diversity of opinion on sexuality while preserving unity in the diocese.

"The larger church has been working toward providing care for congregations in new ways that these times warrant," Hollingsworth said. "And I want to go as far as we possibly can to provide both the care and oversight congregations need."

Last month, in response to the international uproar over the election and consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson, the Episcopal House of Bishops approved a compromise national church plan that gives conservative congregations the right to request an outside bishop for pastoral care, with an appeals process if the local bishop rules against them.

Some conservative churches in other parts of the country are participating in this process. But Tasker said local churches reject the national plan as unworkable because ultimate authority still rests with a hierarchy that rejects their beliefs on church teachings on sexuality.

Hollingsworth was scheduled to visit St. Barnabas, Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Luke's in the month following his consecration. Those appearances were planned several months ago.

In a letter to the bishop-elect, the conservative churches asked him not to visit to avoid "extreme pain for everyone involved," Tasker said. A diocesan spokesman said Hollingsworth has not decided whether to continue with the visits.

The two sides have expressed interest in a face-to-face meeting to discuss the situation, but none has been scheduled.

Tasker said the churches have retained legal counsel.

"We don't want a fight, but we will if we have to," he said. "This is not over. We hope it will be over soon, and it will be very amicable."

Since St. Barnabas and St. Luke's began withholding their diocesan assessments last year, the potential loss from the two churches alone is some $200,000 a year, Tasker said. Church officials said, however, the five churches have not been paying their full assessments since 1999, and in 2002 paid a total of $150,000.

In the talk before diocesan clergy last week, Hollingsworth said the current crisis can be a moment of opportunity.

"I would offer that the opportunity before us is that of achieving a deeper unity in Christ . . . and that the danger is segregating ourselves by like-mindedness in a way that lets us off the hook," he said.

The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio has about 24,000 members in 103 churches in Northern Ohio.

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