"There is no way that a congregation, just lock, stock and barrel, can take down one flag and put up another and claim they are now something else.

They can leave, in the traditional sense, get up and go somewhere else," said the Rev. Kurt Dunkle, canon to Howard, who said the church's pastor, the Rev. Sam Pascoe and the church's vestry are in serious violation of church and state law.

"We are looking at our options. One option may be legal action."

The priests have said they and a majority of their congregations are "disassociating" from the American denomination because of what they see as its long slide away from biblical tradition. The final straw for them came in November 2003 when the national church elected an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire.

But leaving the diocese didn't mean leaving behind its missionary mandate.

"We've always seen ourselves as a church plant," said Bill Glasgow, who serves as warden to Holy Cross pastor Rev. James Wagner.

The priests concerned are saddened and perplexed by this unnecessary and unhelpful action taken by the Bishop and the Standing Committee. Each of them has continued to serve as a priest in the Anglican Communion since disassociating from the Diocese of Florida and the Episcopal Church, and has made it clear that they were not resigning from Holy Orders.