Pittsburgh, USA - Bishop Robert Duncan, ousted as a bishop by the Episcopal Church last month, has been elected to lead a breakaway diocese of conservative churches.
Duncan will be the spiritual leader of more than 50 Pittsburgh-area parishes split from the national church to align with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, an overseas group of Anglican churches that shares its conservative views on traditional Bible teachings.
Another 20 area parishes chose to remain in the Episcopal Church, the U.S. province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Both groups still call themselves the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, and they will share the city's historic cathedral despite pending litigation over other property.
Two other theologically conservative dioceses _ the Diocese of Quincy, Ill., and San Joaquin, based in Fresno, Calif. _ have broken away from the liberal Episcopal Church in a long-running dispute over the Bible, gay relationships and other issues.
The Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, will vote this weekend on whether to follow suit.
Episcopalians and their fellow Anglicans have been debating for decades how they should interpret what Scripture says on issues ranging from salvation to sexuality.
Tensions erupted in 2003 when the denomination consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
Duncan is among leaders trying to form a North American province for Episcopal traditionalists that would rival the U.S. church.