|TOP|The General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the USA opened Tuesday for a week of discussions and special hearings that will attempt to work out a motion more acceptable to traditionalists who remain opposed to the consecration of homosexuals within the Church as bishops.

Observers remain tense amid claims that the 9 days of debate could determine whether or not ECUSA remains in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The motion urges ECUSA members to exercise “great caution” before taking the decision to ordain another gay bishop, following the rupture in the Church caused by consecration of the openly homosexual Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.

It also calls for dioceses to refrain from holding ceremonies blessing same-sex unions until a consensus has been found within the wider Anglican Communion on the issue.

The motion calls on the Episcopal Church to apologise “for having breached the bonds of affection in the Anglican communion by any failure to consult adequately with our Anglican partners".

It also urges the persons who played an active role in bringing about the consecration of Bishop Robinson to “express regret” for the pain they have caused to a large number within the Church and the wider Anglican Communion.

Tuesday afternoon saw the first in a round of hearings on the Windsor Report, the Anglican Communion’s Listening Process and the Anglican Consultative Council.

|AD|During the hearing on resolution A0159: “Commitment to Interdependence in the Anglican Communion”, the Rev Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, warned that interdependence did not mean the same thing as independence.

He said: “The Anglican Communion is not trying to influence or shape the decisions you are trying to make."

Canon Kearon told the packed committee, however, that while interdependence was a "difficult word to explain" it did not mean independent and does not involve making "whatever decisions we want".

"We have the guidance of Scripture overarching all of our activity and all of our work and all of our prayer," he added.

Meanwhile, the Rev Martyn Minns, rector of Truro Church in Fairfax, Virginia, spoke during the evening hearing on A156: “Commitment to Windsor and Listening Processes” in which he referred to Lambeth Resolution 1.10.

He said that “a clear statement has been made about how homosexual practice fits into our understanding of biblical theology”.

Rev Minns conceded that the listening process may only end in disagreement. "What happens after we finally disagree?” he asked. “Can we find a way to live together?"

A public hearing also took place Tuesday evening on resolutions A160, A161, A162 and A163 which deal with the expression of regret, election of bishops, public rites of blessing same-sex unions, pastoral care and Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO).

Despite the divisions, however, no one contested a resolution calling for the continued membership of the US Church in the Anglican Communion.

"The most important thing is that we affirmed that we wanted to stay in the Anglican Communion," said the Rev. Francis Wade, of Washington D.C., a committee member, in the Houston Chronicle.

Hearings scheduled for later in the week will look at Resolutions A168: “Human Ministry” and D017: “Marriage Rite in Book of Common Prayer for Same-Sex Couples”.

The 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the USA takes place in Columbus, Ohio and ends June 21st.