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Duncan spoke of standing in line with his fellow bishops for the central Eucharist of General Convention and knowing he would not stand with them again. "We knew we would never be in that line again, and the heartbreak was immense," he said.

Duncan also mentioned looking into the eyes of bishops from Pakistan, central Africa, and south India and seeing both their love for Episcopalians and their sorrow about General convention's votes.

Kendall Harmon, perhaps the most vocal conservative in the House of Deputies this summer, preached a fiery message about how orthodox Anglicans are identified as catholic, charismatic, and canonical. He compared those qualities to the votes of General Convention.

"This is not catholic. It will not stand," he said of the convention's refusal to heed the counsel of other Anglicans.

Harmon also expressed concerns about the liturgies of The Book of Common Prayer, 1979, which downplayed traditional Anglican themes of God's righteousness and human sinfulness.

"We have a theology and practice in the Episcopal Church that moves straight from creation to redemption" and is wholly universalist, Harmon said.

"We have moved from sinners in the hands of an angry God to clients in the palm of a satisfied therapist."

Douglas LeBlanc is an associate editor for Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The American Anglican Council and Christ Episcopal Church offer more information about the conference, including an agenda and news releases.

The AAC also has a draft document that includes an appeal to the primates of the Anglican Communion to "create a new alignment for Anglicanism in North America."

The Classical Anglican Net News weblog offers many links to mainstream news sources, denominational press pieces, and other Anglican blogs.

Other news stories on the "A Place to Stand" conference include:

U.S. Episcopal conservatives gather in Dallas (Reuters)

Episcopal Church faces split over gays (Associated Press)

Episcopal group opposed to gay bishop signals split | Conservatives meeting in Dallas say they must 'take a stand now,' but some undecided on how (The Dallas Morning News)

Earlier: Episcopal leaders in Dallas to talk possible split | The controversy over the elevation of openly-gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson will be debated in Dallas. (The Dallas Morning News)

Dissident Episcopalians send message | An excited and determined band of conservative Episcopalians rallied here yesterday, sending a clear message to the denomination's leadership that the church was far too liberal for them to accept. (The Washington Times)

Conservative Anglicans rally to reorganize church power | In a further sign of fracture in the Episcopal Church over the ordination of an openly gay bishop, thousands of conservative American Anglicans rallied here on Tuesday at a conference that advocated radically reorganizing church authority. (The New York Times)

Episcopal conference solidifies opposition | Conservative Episcopalians upset with denominational approval of a gay priest as bishop and national church blessing for same-sex couples will begin drafting "a new alignment for Anglicanism in North America" today. (Houston Chronicle)

Episcopal conservatives plan protest | Declaring that they have tolerated 25 years of encroaching liberalism but now must draw the line, conservative Episcopalians gathered Tuesday to begin planning how to dramatically protest the approval of the church's first gay bishop. (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Tex.)

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October (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47