The South African-born dean, a protégé of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, is a director of the Hutchinson Center, and spent two years as chairman of the Commission to End Homelessness in King County.

He is also gay, with a partner of long standing. So is another finalist in California, the Rev. Bonnie Perry, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Chicago.

The General Convention would need to give consent to the May 6 election.

The last convention approved the election of a non-celibate gay, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, as Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire.

The Robinson election provoked strong opposition from Episcopalians who believe biblical teaching condemns same-sex relationships. Prelates of the worldwide Anglican Communion adopted the Windsor Report. It urged a moratorium on celebration of gay marriage (or "holy union") ceremonies and the consecration of gay bishops.

What will happen if another bishop who is gay is brought before a divided General Convention? "If California elects a non-celibate homosexual, it will set off a firestorm: It is an action that would show contempt for what it is like to be part of a global religious family," said Cynthia Brust, communications director with the American Anglican Council, which opposes the consecration of gay bishops.

Already, church divisions have spilled into national news.

Three large parishes in the Diocese of Los Angeles dissociated themselves from the Episcopal Church, and are now formally affiliated with the Archdiocese of Uganda in Africa.

Locally, parishes in Oak Harbor and Poulsbo have pulled out of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia.

The liberal Seattle-based diocese has sought to accommodate traditionalists. Bishop Vincent Warner has maintained dialogue with leaders of the two parishes that quit. The Rt. Rev. Edward Little, Bishop of Northern Indiana, was invited to conduct a confirmation ceremony in Kirkland last June.

In other locales, however, liberal bishops have cracked down on traditionalists -- even taking possession of church property and forbidding priests to minister.

Anguish felt by some was expressed in a recent letter to Episcopal Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold from the governing committee of the Northern Indiana diocese. Bishop Little opposed Robinson, but has been adamant about staying in the church.

"Our divisions are real, deep and, for many, quite unhappy," the letter said. "The temptation to polarize and divide has been growing and will likely continue through and beyond General Convention 2006. In the midst of our struggle, however, there continue to be calls to step back from conflict and come to the table of reconciliation."

It's hard to see where common ground can be found.

Advocates of full inclusion of gays and lesbians see a continuation of historic struggles to include all persons in the household of God.

The Episcopal Church once grappled with slavery. An Episcopal bishop commanded Confederate armies at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.

The church was sharply divided in the 1970s over ordination of women. Nowadays, women preside over dioceses from Nevada to New England.

Taylor speaks to the issue with eloquence, in religious rather than political terms.

"The question for the people of the Diocese of California is to discern whom God might want as their next bishop," he said. "They should be attentive to the work of the Holy Spirit. Who has the gifts for this office?

"The choice obviously intersects with the great questions raised about human sexuality. In whom do we recognize the face of God? Who is included in the household of God? Who is a Christian? Who is a follower of this Jesus?"

What will happen after the General Convention?

One possibility is that some dioceses and parishes will sever ties with the Episcopal Church, and align themselves with the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The Anglican Communion, influenced by evangelical bishops in Africa and Asia, might choose to withdraw recognition of the Episcopal Church as a province of the worldwide church.

"Every man, woman, family, parish and diocese will have to decide which way they will go," Brust said.

Asked about splits, Taylor acknowledged the possibility but added, "I pray that will not be the case."

The Episcopal Church has been public, candid and a bit messy in dealing with great issues of our time. It hasn't helped in the pews, where average Sunday attendance declined 3.3 percent from 2003 to 2004. Still, a profound question is on the table: What does it mean to be faithful to the call of Jesus Christ?

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