"Who ever subscribes to this covenant must abide by it and those who are unable to subscribe to it will walk out."

The Anglican Communion, a loose federation of 38 national churches, has struggled since 2003 to hold together its liberal minority and the conservative majority vigorously opposed to the naming of a gay bishop in the United States.

"In our own generation, there are issues of the uniqueness of Christ in the context of western pluralism; the reliability of the Bible in the context of liberalism; loss of trust; sexual immorality and gender distinction where Christ and the Bible are challenged," he says.

He added that Christians may prefer to get on with the task of gospel proclamation, but they must also be ready to defend the authority of Scripture when others use God's grace as a 'licence for immorality'.

Bishop Maze's July letter gave the impression that parishes desiring to do so would offer quiet "pastoral" responses to gay couples that seek church sanction for their relationships that do not involve "formal rites of blessing."

However, the two men blessed at St. Michael's, Ted Holder and Joe van den Heuvel, sent out invitations to the event, the parish's vicar, Fr. Ed Wills confirmed - some 200 persons attended - which would seem to make it public and "formal."

The second Wednesday of the month is time for "soaking prayer" at St. Anne's on West Street in Oceanside. For 90 minutes, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the sanctuary is turned into a refuge for an ecumenical audience of two to three dozen people, who bring whatever they need to get themselves comfortable to immerse themselves in quiet, contemplative prayer.