Since he took over as dean of the Advent in 1995, Zahl has helped expand membership from about 2,400 to 3,424 at Birmingham's largest Episcopal church. Sunday attendance grew from less than 900 to 1,249. And the annual budget doubled, to more than $3.4 million.

"I think it's been Paul's preaching," said the Rev. John Harper, the vice-dean who takes over as interim dean Monday. "It's his message and his style."

He told BBC News he felt it was time to move on.

He said: "It has been something that has been rumbling around in my mind and heart for a couple of years.

"I will have done nearly 20 years as a bishop. It is the sort of time that you ought to be moving on."

During his time as archbishop Dr. Hope has aligned himself with traditionalists in the Anglican church.

'God's gift'

The focus of the trip appears to center on attempts toward reconciliation with African provinces and dioceses that have decried the decisions of General Convention 2003 and subsequent actions of ECUSA. To date, twenty-one Anglican provinces have declared either impaired or broken communion with ECUSA. The letter from Bishop Lipscomb reads in part:

The 47-year-old Kolm, from Prairie Village, Kan., said keeping church and state separate is important to her. She doesn't want a few religious denominations defining marriage - or setting other social policy - for everyone.

"What it's all about to me is denying some people's rights," she said.

But some local clergy think the Mainstream Coalition is using scare tactics designed to unfairly keep them out of the political process.