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Moore, who asserted that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of gay Episcopal bishops and ministers, insisted that Barrett was known only as "homosexually oriented," and had created no "public scandal" before he ordained her. Other bishops cited press reports to the contrary. But C. Kilmer Myers, the bishop of California who plans to license Barrett as a parish assistant, replied, "I don't know what she does behind the doors of her bedroom. If I were Ellen Barrett, I would sue you all." In a welter of confusion, the bishops finally tabled by 66-48 a motion to disapprove Barrett's ordination.
That left one other troublesome bishop to deal with: the Right Rev. Albert A. Chambers, retired bishop of Springfield, Ill., who has for months been conducting confirmations in schismatic parishes over the objections of resident bishops. Chambers, wearing purple shirt and clerical collar, told his sports-shirted colleagues: "There is no doubt about it —I have broken the constitution and canons of the church." But, he said, the dissidents' pastoral needs must take priority.
Chambers could face charges in a church court—a procedure separate from the bishops' deliberations—but that seems problematic since the church did not discipline those bishops who previously broke church rules in ordaining women. The house set up a committee to talk with the schismatics, issued an "appeal" to them to return, and stated that it "decries and repudiates" Chambers' activities. It also appealed to all bishops to eschew unauthorized "episcopal acts" so long as they remain members of the House of Bishops.
The most crucial "episcopal acts" of all will be consecrations of the new bishops that the schismatic church must acquire in order to survive. Some defectors who formed their own diocese have elected as a bishop the Rev. James Mote of Denver, rector of the first parish to leave the Episcopal Church. To become bishops in apostolic succession, however, Mote and other candidates from the new church must be consecrated by three recognized bishops. During the past year the movement has approached 15 Episcopal bishops for help. Though he refuses to say so, Chambers is willing to perform consecrations, and TIME learned last week that at least two other Episcopal bishops are now willing to join him. When they do, the schism will become a reality.