The "Connecticut Six," as they have become known in the media, want to be released from their ordination vows of obedience to Diocesan Bishop Andrew D. Smith, with whom they disagree about Smith's support of the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire in 2003. The six, all rectors of congregations, are also demanding suspension of selected canons governing financial obligations, ordination procedures, and clergy succession.

Attempts over the past year to reconcile differences or reach an acceptable way forward -- including Smith's proposed implementation of the Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO) plan approved by the House of Bishops last year -- have been unsuccessful.

The Standing Committee of the Diocese in March determined that the six rectors had "abandoned the communion of the [Episcopal] church" and recommended that the priests be inhibited from practicing their ministries in the diocese for six months.

The six priests claim that they are being gagged and their careers threatened because they don't support Smith's views. The bishop says that's not true.

"We can disagree about many things, but we cannot disagree about the role of the bishop in his diocese. I cannot break my own vows as bishop, suspend the constitution and canons, and relinquish my authority because we don't agree on a given issue."

A larger strategy?

Bishop Andrew Smith faces the challenge of holding the 177-parishes in the diocese together in the middle of worldwide disagreements, as the Anglican Church wrestles with issues of authority, interpretation of scripture, and sexuality.

The controversy in Connecticut is widely seen as part of a strategy by the American Anglican Council (AAC), and its affiliate the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, to realign the Anglican Communion by replacing the Episcopal Church USA with a network of conservative dioceses and parishes. At one point, it appeared that the six rectors and their congregations wanted to create a "mini-diocese" within Connecticut.

Last spring, in response to their request, Smith offered to work with the six conservative parishes using the DEPO model -- a temporary measure of approximately two years during which Smith would delegate some of his authority for pastoral care to a conservative bishop agreeable to both sides. During that time, the parish and bishop would continue to work intensively at reconciling their differences. Smith has spoken with several conservative bishops willing to serve as a delegated bishop for the parishes.

However, in a letter from the six priests dated May 27, they asked Smith to repent from his actions in support of Gene Robinson, and his decisions to ordain sexually active gay clergy. Barring that repentance, they asked for DEPO, but listed several conditions. They asked that the assigned bishop, instead of the diocesan bishop, oversee future succession of clergy, and future candidates for ordination, in the parishes. The letter also asked for release from the parishes' obligation to pay diocesan assessments.

Bishop Smith rejected their demand to choose between full repentance and conditional DEPO. "To choose one, I must reject decisions that I have made in faith and disown persons who are faithful servants of Christ," Smith said. "To choose the other, I must disobey the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church that I, as bishop, have promised to uphold."

Smith requested, then ordered, the priests to meet with him individually. None of the meetings were successful. He then set a date of February 15, 2005 for implementation of DEPO. When that date passed without further resolution, the bishop informed the Standing Committee of the impasse, and they recommended that the six priests be inhibited under the national canons (Title IV, Canon 10) for abandoning their ministries. Smith set a deadline of April 15 for them to respond.

Late in the afternoon of April 15 the bishop announced he had invited the priests to another meeting the following Monday evening, April 18. This time, he agreed to meet with them as a group. He also invited Bishop Gordon Scruton of Western Massachusetts to facilitate the conversation.

On April 18, all six rectors, along with a lay attorney, met with the bishop and the diocesan chancellor for nearly four hours. One rector spoke on behalf of the others; the other five did not participate in the conversation. No resolution was reached. The bishop asked the priests to acknowledge his authority as their diocesan bishop. However, they left without doing so.

"By leaving the meeting tonight without acknowledging my authority as their bishop they have placed themselves under threat of inhibition by refusing to live within their vows," Smith said in a statement. "I regret that we were unable to reach accord this evening. I shall continue to pray for them."

Canon law allows Bishop Smith to inhibit the six priests for a period of six months, and thereafter, depending on the circumstances, depose them of the gifts and spiritual authority conferred at ordination.

The priests include the Rev. Allyn B. Benedict, rector of Christ Church, Watertown; the Rev. Ronald S. Gauss, rector of Bishop Seabury Church, Groton; the Rev. Mark H. Hansen, rector of St. John's, Bristol; the Rev. Donald L. Helmandollar, rector of Trinity Church, Bristol; the Rev. Christopher P. Leighton, rector of St. Paul's, Darien; and the Rev. Gilbert V. Wilkes, rector of the Church of the Epiphany, East Haven.