The bishop is leaving the church after he received a warning, because he objected to blessing same-sex marriage in his diocese.

Bishop William Love is leaving the Episcopal Church after almost thirty years of service, he has announced in a statement. He wrote that he believed it was the right decision after all that has transpired in the past few years.

The conservative bishop decided to leave after he received a warning last year from a disciplinary panel for violating his ordination vows and The Episcopal Church s canon law when he banned same-sex marriage in his diocese.

Love is planning to continue his service in the more conservative community of the Anglican Church in North America.

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, leader of the denomination, released a statement in response to the announcement, arguing that his belief was that „as a church we are called, as Jesus once said, to be a house of prayer for all people, where, as my slave ancestors used to sing, there is plenty good room for all of God s children. „

Although Curry does not specifically mention the issue of same-sex marriages, he stated his belief that „the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are the ultimate sign of the very love of God reaching out to embrace and welcome us all.”

The Episcopal Church General Convention passed a resolution in July 2018, which mandated that all dioceses must bless same-sex unions, despite being in conflict with the biblical standard of marriage. In an open letter in November, Bishop Love stated that he would not implement the resolution because he believed the Church had to stand up for its views on homosexuality even if it was not politically correct.