Liberal American bishops face having their invitations to Anglican summits withdrawn by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, if they continue to defy the worldwide Church over homosexuality.
Under tough proposals likely to be recommended by the Lambeth Commission next month, the liberal leadership of the American Episcopal Church could be excluded from policy making and shunned by the vast majority of Anglicans. Bishops who publicly support the consecration of Canon Gene Robinson as Anglicanism's first actively gay bishop last year or who authorise gay "marriages", both of which breach official Anglican policy, would be penalised.
They would only be readmitted to the councils of the worldwide Church if they reversed their position and repented.
The 19-strong commission, which was set up by Dr Williams to avert a schism over the issue, is to finalise its recommendations at a meeting in Windsor next week, but it is thought to have reached a broad consensus at earlier meetings.
In its final report, which is due to be published in October, the commission is expected to resist calls from hardline conservatives to expel the Episcopal Church immediately.
But if its liberal leadership has not recanted by the time the next Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops convenes in 2008, the whole church could still face ejection.
Although debate over homosexuality will not be stifled, only bishops who abide by the Church's official line will be welcome at Anglican summits, and new bishops will also be required to sign up to the policy.
Many of the suggestions emanated from the Anglican Communion Institute, an evangelical think-tank sponsored by Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury.
Members of the commission are understood to have favoured this approach because it avoids a formal split in the Church and relies on the already existing role of the Archbishop of Canterbury to invite bishops to summits.
If adopted, the proposals could prove enough to placate the conservative wing of the Church, which has been threatening to break away and set up a rival organisation if its demands for the liberals to be disciplined were not met.
But they will cause consternation among liberals, who will see them as a severe personal blow and a setback to the cause of homosexual rights within the Church.
The report could prove particularly embarrassing to the Primate of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Frank Griswold, who could find himself shut out of the annual meetings of the primates, the heads of the 38 provinces which make up the Church. The measures could also apply to the liberal Bishop of New Westminster in Canada, the Rt Rev Michael Ingham, who triggered the crisis by authorising a rite of same sex blessing in his diocese 15 months ago.
The commission, which is chaired by the Primate of Ireland, Archbishop Robin Eames, is due to present its final report to Dr Williams later this month.
The report is expected to be debated by the primates at their meeting in Northern Ireland in February, and could be implemented soon after.