Two of the most prominent Episcopal parishes in Virginia voted overwhelmingly yesterday to leave the Episcopal Church and join fellow Anglican conservatives to form a rival denomination in the United States.

Truro Church, in Fairfax, and The Falls Church, in the city of Falls Church, plan to place themselves under the leadership of the Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola, of Nigeria, who has called the acceptance of gay relationships a “satanic attack” on the Church.

Martyn Minns, Truro rector, was consecrated a bishop by the Church of Nigeria this year to lead Archbishop Akinola’s Convocation of Anglicans in North America. “This has been our spiritual home, so separating is very hard,” he said.

Peter Lee, a centrist Virginia Bishop, had won praise even from his critics for his dialogues with all sides in the conflict. He said that the votes “had compromised these discussions and have created Nigerian congregations occupying Episcopal churches”.

Four other Virginia parishes have left, and eight more are voting or will vote soon on whether to follow. A lengthy and expensive legal fight is expected over parish properties, worth millions of dollars.

The Episcopal Church, the US wing of the global Anglican Communion, has been under increasing pressure from traditionalists since the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, of New Hampshire.

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