DURHAM, N.C. ? The Episcopal Church consecrated V. Gene Robinson as bishop in a heartfelt ceremony Sunday, making him the first openly gay man to rise to that rank in any of the world’s major Christian bodies.

But while pageantry mixed with exultation in the ritual elevating Robinson to bishop of New Hampshire, it seems unlikely the church will hold together in the aftermath.

Minutes after Robinson was consecrated, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams — spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion — said the divisions caused by Robinson’s elevation “are a matter of deep regret.” And a thoughtful protest from conservatives, already moving toward a break with the Episcopal Church, marked the consecration ceremony.

At the climax of the precedent-setting, three-hour ritual, held in a university sports arena, some 45 bishops laid hands on Robinson and the head of the Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, recited an age-old prayer that began: “Father, make Gene a bishop in your church …”

The congregation of 4,000 then greeted the new bishop with a three-minute standing ovation. Robinson nodded and brushed away a tear. He then spoke informally, his voice breaking twice with emotion.

Robinson said his new position in the hierarchy symbolized that the church was reaching out to “people who find themselves at the margins,” just as Jesus did.

He also reached out to disgruntled conservatives. “They must know if they must leave, they will always be welcomed back,” Robinson said to cheers.

Numerous objections

The Most Reverend Frank Griswold III places his hands on the head of V. Gene Robinson as bishops gather during Robinson's consecration in Durham, N.H. Robinson was consecrated Sunday as the Epicopal's first openly gay bishop.

But the growing split was evident in Williams’ remarks.

In a statement from London, he said: “The divisions that are arising are a matter of deep regret; they will be all too visible in the fact that it will not be possible for Gene Robinson’s ministry as a bishop to be accepted in every province in the communion.”

“It is clear that those who have consecrated Gene Robinson have acted in good faith. … But the effects of this upon the ministry and witness of the overwhelming majority of Anglicans particularly in the nonwestern world have to be confronted with honesty.”

Assistant Bishop David Bena of Albany, N.Y., spoke for 38 opposing bishops in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. He said his group and most bishops in the international Anglican Communion would not recognize Robinson as a fellow bishop. Indeed, the world’s Anglican leaders affirmed their opposition to same-sex relations at an emergency meeting in London last month.

Reading from a statement, Bena said Robinson’s “‘chosen lifestyle’ is incompatible with Scripture and the teaching of this church.”

Bena spoke after Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold asked if there was “any reason why we should not proceed,” a traditional part of Episcopal consecration services.

Bishop V. Gene Robinson, left, is handed his miter by his partner, Mark Andrew, during his consecration ceremony in Durham, N.H. Robinson on Sunday became the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop.

In all, the objections took about 10 minutes.

Outside the ceremony, a handful of anti- and pro-gay demonstrators were kept apart by police. Armed officers also stood on the roof. Dissenting traditionalists also held a competing Communion service at a nearby church.

New church network

A national association for conservatives opposed to ordaining gays, the American Anglican Council, says parishioners already were drifting away in protest of Robinson’s elevation. It plans to hold the denomination’s conservative flank together by building a network of “confessing” dioceses and congregations.

The network will exist more or less separately from the national denomination, claiming to preserve the traditional beliefs of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion of which it’s a part.

Some predict this will develop into the worst Episcopal split since the denomination was founded in 1789. And depending on the shape things take, a spate of church lawsuits may well result.