"Any Anglican diocese that resolves and sanctions to bless same sex marriages has, as a result kicked itself out of the Anglican communion," the statement said. "We wish to state in clear terms that we will consider breaking up our partnership with any such diocese that makes deacons, ordains priests or consecrates bishops who have practiced or continue to practice gay relationships."
Harsh criticism
The planned meeting in London was also criticized by supporters of gay priests.
The Reverend Richard Kirker, the general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Community, said the October meeting would not achieve results since none of its participants were openly gay.
"It would be like a conference on racism without any black people," he said.
Britain's Lesbian and Gay Christian Community is holding its own conference in October and has invited Robinson to speak. "It is an opportunity to change any sense that people like Gene are unusual or extraordinary," Kirker said.
In Minneapolis, at the general convention of the Episcopal Church USA, conservative leaders said they were thrilled that the extraordinary meeting had been called. Earlier, they had called on the Anglican Communion's primates to intervene after the convention approved Robinson. They reiterated those calls after the convention approved a resolution stating that clergy members who conduct same-sex unions are within "the bounds of our common life."
"I see this as an emergency response to what has happened here," said the Reverend Canon David Anderson, president of the conservative American Anglican Council. "We've said all along that the decisions taken by this convention would cause pain to the entire communion."
The Most Reverend Frank Griswold, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, said on Friday that he thought it was important for other Anglican leaders around the world to understand that any choice by the American church would not be forced upon any other.
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