VANCOUVER, BC-Nearly two years after the diocesan synod of New Westminster approved a rite of blessing for same-sex couples, four parishes opposed to the decision have quit the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC).

The four parishes say they now belong to a new entity called the Anglican Communion in Canada (ACiC) under the "temporary" pastoral oversight offered by five Primates or church leaders, based in Africa and southeast Asia.

The decision to leave, they state in a news release, "is in response to the crisis of faith and order precipitated by the abandonment by the Diocese of New Westminster of the unambiguous teachings of the Anglican Communion with respect to the authority of Scripture and human sexuality."

They add that by accepting the Primates’ offer-which extends to every Anglican parish and diocese in Canada-"the ACiC remains intentionally ‘in communion’ with all faithful and orthodox Christians in the Anglican Church."

The rectors of the four parishes involved have all handed Bishop Michael Ingham letters formally resigning their positions as priests in the diocese.

In a statement accepting their resignations posted on the diocese’s Web site, Ingham said he was "glad that they have finally clarified the situation and made it clear they are leaving the Anglican Church of Canada of their own volition."

The priests and their parishes are: Barclay Mayo of St. Andrews in Pender Harbour, Silas Ng of the Church of Emmanuel in Richmond, Ed Hird of St. Simon’s in North Vancouver and Paul Carter of Immanuel Westside in Vancouver.

Carter’s church was planted last year. From the start, it was independent of Ingham’s authority. The diocese’s Web site states only that he was on "a leave of absence."

But their dealings with the diocese may not be over quite yet. Chief legal officer George Cadman says he plans to raise with the former rectors the future of their parish properties, which he contends legally belong to the diocese.

Yet Leslie Bentley, speaking for the Anglican Communion in New Westminster-a coalition of dissenting parishes including the four that have now left the ACC-says that is not really an issue, since two of the churches use rented facilities.

But Bentley says property ownership could turn into a major court battle if a made-in-Canada solution to the crisis is not forthcoming, since that could force other parishes to join the ACiC.

"There are numerous parishes across the country that aren’t going to walk from their buildings. And they tend to be the larger parishes, because it’s no secret that it’s the orthodox evangelical parishes that are the big ones," she says.

"The rest of the church is shrinking."