Portland was chosen as the site for the meeting of the House of Bishops, which brings together bishops from national churches from North and South America and the Caribbean every three years. That meeting preceded others, including one for leaders of the American church and church leaders from New England and New York.

But the Right Reverend Anthony Priddis said Ms Jones - being ordained on Saturday - was "made and loved by God".

What's important is that she's a person made by God, loved by God and given gifts by God who feels that she's called to be a priest, said The Right Reverend Anthony Priddis

Ms Jones was a "superb candidate" who had the gender realignment surgery "many years ago - long before she explored the possibility of being ordained", Bishop Priddis said.

We came to see and we came to listen - and to try to understand the human dimensions of an unholy situation in a land most holy. We each encountered the voices of individuals, organizations and officials that we had never heard before. In session after session, we confronted the realities on the ground and gained new understandings of, and an appreciation for, the deep complexities of the conflicts that consume Israelis, Palestinians and us alike.

While individuals are free under civil law to register partnerships, given the ambiguity in the legislation and because they are bound to be seen as a form of gay "marriage", it would be inadvisable for Christians to enter them if only to avoid causing scandal.