Episcopalians declared gays and lesbians eligible for "any ordained ministry" Tuesday, a vote expected to upset world Anglican leaders who had sought a clear moratorium on consecrating another gay bishop.

Leaders of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican province in the United States, insisted they were still committed to membership in the Anglican Communion. Some Anglican leaders, however, predicted the vote would break their fellowship.

The Episcopal General Con-vention, meeting in Anaheim, California, gave final approval to the measure during their once-every-three-years legislative assembly, which runs through Friday.

"God has called and may call" gays in committed relationships to "any ordained ministry" in the church, the resolution says.

Lay people voted 78-21 and clergy voted 77-19 to approve the measure. The House of Bishops had earlier voted 99-45 to adopt the statement. In the debates, delegates said they worried about the reaction of other Anglicans, but felt a duty to vote yes.

Uproar

Episcopalians caused an uproar in 2003 by consecrating the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Since then, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, has struggled to prevent a permanent Anglican split.

Last month, breakaway Epis-copal conservatives and other like-minded traditionalists formed a rival national province to the Episcopal Church called the Anglican Church in North America.

The new body includes four seceding Episcopal dioceses and is supported by several overseas Anglican leaders who have broken ties with the Episcopal Church.

The 77 million-member com-munion is the third-largest grouping of churches worldwide, behind the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches.

When Williams learned that the latest statement was heading toward approval, he told British reporters that he "regrets" the move.