Attention was inevitably focused, however, on the three-day meeting's three hours devoted to resolutions - many of which dealt, at least indirectly, with the church's position on sexual issues.

In an emotional speech following the defeat of a resolution of which he was a principal author, Carter Brothers stood up to say "I am embarrassed by this council," and indicated he was reconsidering his church membership.

While most of his fellow traditionalist Episcopalians weren't prepared to go that far, many were clearly frustrated by the council's refusal to adopt a resolution they saw as attempting to bridge the differences between themselves and the more liberal members of the church.

It asked the council to say it "accepts the findings" of a report critical of the Episcopal Church (USA), the American branch of the Anglican Communion. The communion is an international affiliation of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England.

The so-called Windsor Report was released last fall by an Anglican commission created to examine the strained relationship between the Episcopal Church and many of the rest of the world's Anglicans, who consider the American church too liberal.

At issue is the Americans' last national meeting in the summer of 2003, at which they endorsed the election of a noncelibate gay bishop for the Diocese of New Hampshire and implicitly approved the creation of rites to bless same-sex unions.

The Windsor Report concluded that the Americans should apologize for taking those actions following the clearly expressed disapproval of them by much of the Anglican Communion's international leadership. It also asked that the Episcopal Church declare a moratorium on ordinatio ns of noncelibate gay bishops and on the creation of ceremonies for same-sex unions.

A group of members of St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke and Brothers insisted their resolution to accept the Windsor Report's findings was carefully crafted not to criticize the actions of their denomination's 2003 General Convention.

But other delegates expressed reluctance to "accept" a document which, by a show of hands, at least half the delegates said they had not read all the way through.

While many of the delegates seemed to view the heated debate with some discomfort, some also found positives.

David Cooper, a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, is coordinator of an organization of traditionalists called A Place to Stand - Southwestern Virginia. The vestry of his church submitted a resolution, approved Saturday, calling for congregations to "commit to a process of ongoing study and discussion of the Windsor Report."

"We could have asked for no better kick-off" of that process "than the discussion today," Cooper said after the Saturday meeting.

"Points were made that need to be expressed, to be thought about, to be prayed over."

Bishop Neff Powell said he was proud of the council's conduct. "I think they just decided they want to think and pray and study more before they take action" related to the Windsor Report, he said.

The council ended up tabling resolutions against a federal marriage amendment and calling for a ban on same-sex unions in the Episcopal Church.

But it easily passed a call for the state senators and delegates representing the diocese's region of Virginia to rescind last year's "Affirmation of Marriage Act." That law prohibits any "civil union, partnership contract or other arrangement between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage." It is widely considered one of the most restrictive in the nation.

Delegates also approved a budget of slightly more than $1 million for the current year. They conclude their council today with an agenda devoted primarily to worship.

END