Lesbian among Episcopal bishop nominees

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

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

If she wins, she would be the second bishop living with a same-sex partner in the Episcopal Church. 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 U.S.

Next month, U.S. Episcopal bishops will meet to decide whether they should agree to Anglican demands that they unequivocally pledge by Sept. 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 Rev. Jane Gould, rector of St. Stephen's Memorial Episcopal Church in Lynn, Mass.; the Rev. Jeffrey Lee, rector of St. Thomas Church in Medina, Wash.; the Rev. Margaret Rose, director of national Episcopal women's ministries; and the Rev. Timothy Safford, rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia.

Chicago Bishop William Persell plans to resign after his successor is consecrated.

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Episcopal Diocese: http://www.epischicago.org/