The Church of England is grappling with homosexuality, and one of the most thorny issues is what to do with gay clergy. As one vicar reveals his intention to 'marry' his partner, Mike Amos looks at how the issue is splitting the establishment.

It was only a paragraph in the parish magazine, amid coffee morning, Christingle and carol concert. "Malcolm and I are having a special event just before Christmas," wrote the Rev Chris Wardale.

For the folk of Holy Trinity church in Darlington, news of their Vicar's impending civil partnership with long time partner Malcolm Macourt was probably little surprise.

For the Anglican communion - the worldwide affiliation of churches with 70 million adherents and the Archbishop of Canterbury at its head - the likely wider reaction is another example of an ever-deepening schism which threatens once and for all to shred any semblance of global unity or episcopal authority.

The Church of England's stance on civil partnerships, outlined in a statement from the House of Bishops on July 25, forebade "blessing" services, accepted that "faithful" and sexually active same-sex relationships could be allowed among lay people but not among clergy. Lay people didn't need to give assurances about "the nature of their "relationship"; clergy did.

Broadly, the Church is divided into evangelicals, mostly conservative and traditionalist who hold more closely to literal interpretation of scripture, and liberals who advocate greater individual freedom and adapting to meet changing times.

The fast growing Anglican church in Africa is particularly angry, Christians in Nigeria said especially to regard homosexual activity as an abomination before the Lord. Increasingly, it is forecast, the already shaky structure will simply disintegrate. Increasingly, worried Christians turn to the third chapter of St Mark's gospel:

'If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

In North America, the debate has been heightened by the consecration of a practising homosexual as Bishop of New Hampshire.

In England, it was centred two years ago around Jeffrey John, the canon theologian of Southwark Cathedral who had been nominated as the next Bishop of Reading.

Though Canon John insisted that his long term relationship with a man had been non-sexual for many years, the resultant outcry and virulent campaign led to agonised meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Canon John's eventual withdrawal of acceptance.

"Canon's John appointment has brought to light a good deal of unhappiness among people who could by no means be described as extremists," said Dr Rowan Williams, the archbishop.

The Rev David Holloway, a leading evangelical and Vicar of Jesmond, Newcastle, said at the time that support for homosexual clergy was "basically institutional heresy and institutional decadence."

The issue, he added, was a problem for the whole church. "In the Church of England at the moment we have a spiritual vacuum. We want the Church to grow, not by any old means but by true teaching of the scriptures."

Those with no problem with a priest's sexual orientation argue, like many at Holy Trinity, that it's whether he or she is a good and faithful priest which should be the only concern.

At the service earlier this year to mark the 25th anniversary of Chris Wardale's ordained ministry, former Bishop of Durham, Dr David Jenkins, said that when a man got up to in his bedroom was no concern of his.

Dr Jenkins, who will preach at the "service of thanksgiving" after the civil ceremony on December 21, said yesterday that he regretted that all concerned would be drawn into controversy.

"It's a pity, but it can't be helped. It seems to me that Anglicanism has got into a bit of a panic, really. It is trying to close down exploration, which doesn't seem to me to accord with the genius of Anglicanism.

"It's a challenge for all of us. We have to look very hard at the future."

Back at Holy Trinity, Darlington, Chris Wardale admitted in the magazine that they never thought they would be able to make their relationship official and legally recognised. "It is a step which we are taking with great joy and indeed with some trepidation - once the register is signed, then we will firmly be counted as one."

Malcolm Macourt, who also writes in the magazine, asks to be remembered on their special day. "Pray that we will be able to support each other in love, and in our lives in the community."

Brenda Stobart, a warden at the church in Woodland Road, said that the Christian attitude should be to let people get on with their lives.

"There are mixed feelings, perhaps those who aren't so happy, but people have got used to them being around.

"We know his situation but Chris is a jolly good parish priest. People like his sermons, he's down to earth and he's a nice feller. Shouldn't that be what matters?"