Republican Sen. William C. Mims, an Episcopalian, sponsored the bill geared to allow some of Virginia's richest and oldest Episcopal churches to keep their millions of dollars of assets if they decide to split from the denomination that consecrated homosexual bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, in 2003 and decided to allow blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.
Thousands of Episcopalians who opposed those decisions met in Woodbridge, Va., last month to discuss forming their own network of dioceses and congregations. Internationally, Anglican Church leaders have threatened to cut ties with the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion.
The bill also would have allowed seceding congregations to be independent of any church, diocese or society. Currently, breakaway congregations are limited to joining another branch of the church or society.
