Article continues The report made clear however that there could be no further stained glass ceilings to the ultimate promotion if women do become bishops, and that the church would fall foul of the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act if its highest post were denied to them. "If the day comes when a woman is installed on the throne of St Augustine, it would indeed be a notable day in church history and the continuing life of the Church Universal in mission."

For several of these churches the move was precipitated by a continued threat by the Bishop of Florida, the Rt. Rev. John Howard, to reduce them from parish to mission status in January on account of their refusal to give direct support to the diocese financially-an action not mandated by church law (each of the congregations had continued to support diocesan ministries).

But she's since reconnected with her Anglican tradition through a new Jackson church whose spiritual headquarters is 8,000 miles away.

Called Holy Trinity Anglican Church, the Jackson congregation is part of the Anglican diocese of Rwanda, which has been planting churches for conservative Episcopalians in the United States. Through its organization, the Anglican Mission in America, the African diocese oversees some 80 U.S. congregations.

"It was totally manufactured," Bollinger said. "A falsehood on their part to create a diversion away from what they had done to me and what they were doing to me."

The lawsuit, filed in Tioga County Superior Court, names Bishop Gladstone Adams, the diocese and the controller at the time, whom Bollinger claims broke into his personal bank account.

Adams did not immediately return calls Saturday seeking comment.