Lesbian among
Episcopal bishop nominees

The Episcopal diocese of Chicago included an openly lesbian priest among five nominees for bishop Tuesday, even as fellow Anglicans demand that the church bar gay bishops.

The Reverend Tracey Lind, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, who has a partner, will be on the November 10 ballot.

If she is chosen, she would be the second bishop in the Episcopal Church who is openly living with a same-sex partner. New Hampshire bishop V. Gene Robinson, who has a male partner, was consecrated in 2003, pushing the world Anglican Communion to the brink of schism.

The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the United States.

Next month, U.S. Episcopal bishops will meet to decide whether they should agree to Anglican demands that they unequivocally pledge by September 30 not to consecrate another openly gay bishop. If the bishops say no, the church could lose its full membership in the 77 million-member communion.

The other candidates for Chicago bishop are the Reverend Jane Gould, rector of St. Stephen's Memorial Episcopal Church in Lynn, Mass.; the Reverend Jeffrey Lee, rector of St. Thomas Church in Medina, Wash.; the Reverend Margaret Rose, director of national Episcopal women's ministries; and the Reverend Timothy Safford, rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia.

Chicago bishop William Persell plans to resign after his successor is consecrated. (AP)