THE Anglican Church has been plunged into its most serious crisis since the ordination of women priests as traditionalist and evangelical clergy united in protest at same-sex blessings and the choice of two gay men to serve as bishops.

They expressed dismay over the election in America on Saturday night of Canon Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, making him the first Anglican bishop to be openly living with a gay partner.

They are also considering how to respond to the choice of the homosexual theologian, Canon Jeffrey John, to serve as the next Bishop of Reading. Nearly 100 clergy in Oxford, one quarter of all clergy in the diocese, are demanding a meeting with the Bishop of Oxford, the Right Rev Richard Harries, after he used his diocesan synod address on Saturday to defend his choice of Canon John and to attack homophobia.

Senior evangelicals in the Church of England said that orthodox clergy would unite in action “bigger than anything we have seen before” in protest at the appointments. They are calling for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to intervene to put an end to “provocative” actions for the sake of Church unity.

Dr Williams has publicly expressed his sadness at the authorisation of same-sex blessings in a diocese in Canada, although one source said he was privately delighted.

He has so far declined to comment on the appointments of homosexual bishops. Although publicly he takes a traditional line, privately he is known to support both the ordination of gay men and women and the blessing of faithful gay partnerships.

More than one third of the 38 Anglican primates, the bishops and archbishops who head the provinces of the Anglican Communion, are saying that “impaired” or “broken” communion — schism — is only a matter of time.

Paul Gardner, chairman of the Church of England Evangelical Council, which will debate the latest developments at its meeting this week, said: “People are riding roughshod over what the bishops said at the Lambeth Conference in 1998.” They agreed a traditional biblical line. It was hoped schism would be averted after the primates met in Brazil a few days ago and issued a joint statement in which they agreed to disagree theologically but to avoid action which would disrupt the unity of the Church.

Dr Gardner said he feared that there would now be division in the Anglican Church. “It is that serious. Our colleagues in the two-thirds world are probably going to lead the way on it.”

David Virtue, a US evangelical commentator, said that the election of Canon Robinson combined with the same-sex blessings in Canada “will now focus the anger and outrage of the Anglican Communion’s primates as never before.

“A substantial number of Third World primates have cut ties with the diocese of New Westminster and they will surely now do the same with the diocese of New Hampshire.”

Canon Robinson will not be consecrated as Bishop of New Hampshire until his election is ratifed by the American bishops. They will vote when the General Convention meets next month in Minneapolis. The same convention will debate a motion to ask the liturgical commission to draw up a rite for same-sex blessings.

Both the election and the same-sex blessings are expected to be passed. However, the new rites will not be authorised for use until the subsequent convention in 2006.

In an interview with The Times, Canon Robinson pleaded for unity. He said: “Our context here in the United States is a bit different in the sense that it is not so dangerous to live as an openly gay person.”

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