Local church at center of breakaway Episcopal movement

From Massachusetts-

It's been nearly three years since the Episcopal Church was officially divided in the wake of the consecration of the Rev. Gene Robinson, an openly gay Episcopal clergyman, to bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire, giving birth to the more conservative Anglican Church of North America.

At the leading edge of that shift was the Rev. William Murdoch, who had led All Saints' Church in West Newbury since 1993. Like many Episcopalians, Murdoch saw Robinson's election as the final step in a growing perception of the church's increasingly liberal philosophy.

In response, Murdoch effectively resigned as an Episcopalian in 2007 to start one of the first Anglican churches in North America, which found a new home in Amesbury.

This week, Amesbury is again serving as a hub for the North American Anglican movement, hosting an estimated 100 bishops and laypeople from Canada and across the country at All Saints Anglican Church to celebrate their coming together as a new religious denomination.

More here-

http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x1358978175/Local-church-at-center-of-breakaway-Episcopal-movement