On the final day of the diocese's annual convention meeting here, clergy and lay delegates passed a resolution supporting Bishop Don Johnson "in his leadership and commitment to unity." The church vote calls for Johnson to formulate a pastoral response for church members who disagree with gay ordinations and same-sex unions both of which were approved during last year's General Convention and to work with a commission to study the issues of marriage, human sexuality and the blessing of same-sex unions.

The single resolution was crafted as a substitute for several others, angering church conservatives. They had pushed measures that would have repudiated the confirmation of Bishop V. Gene Robinson, a gay man who lives with a male partner, and would have proclaimed Christian marriage as being between one m an and one woman.

Episcopal dioceses in Pennsylvania, Texas and elsewhere had passed similar measures expressing their displeasure with the national church. "We didn't ask for this conflict, but we don't flee from it either," said Rev. Joe Davis, pastor of St. Philip Church in Lakeland.

Davis co-authored another resolution that would have allowed dissident church members to join with conservative groups and still remain in the Episcopal Church.

A majority of church members, however, objected to the plan calling it schismatic and an attempt to subvert the local bishop's authority.

During the 1 1/2-hour debate, other conservative church members expressed frustration that their views were being ignored. "We've already embraced the voice of the liberal view," said Rev. Colenzo Hubbard, executive director of Emmanuel Episcopal Center in Memphis. "We cannot get to a place of unity unless all of our voices are heard."

Others objected to the consolidated "watered-down" version of their resolutions. "This is
a let's go study thing and people are going to depart (from the church) one at a time," said Joe Davenport of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Jackson. Several priests who supported the substitute measure said the church needed more time to explore scripture as it pertains to human sexuality.

"I consider myself a traditionalist and Orthodox, but what I've learned over the years is that Scripture is not clear at all," said Rev. Don White, pastor at St. George's Episcopal Church in Germantown. Others supporting the resolution said it gives both sides more time to sit down and talk out their differences.

"Democracy may be a great way to run a country, but it's a terrible way to run a church," said Rev. C. B. Baker, Dean of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Memphis. "To try to discern the Holy Spirit through a vote seems to be ludicrous." In a separate matter, the convention passed its 2004 budget, which cuts financial support to the national church by almost $60,000 over last year when the West Tennessee diocese gave more than $158,000.

In approving the $1.2 million budget, church members said the decrease in funding to the national body was due to economic reasons and not intended to send a message of discontent. The West Tennessee diocese includes more than 11,300 baptized members.

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