The possibility of a break in the Anglican Communion [TLC, May 25] should not be taken lightly. The resolution from the Province of South East Asia that it supports and will be in communion with only those parts of the Anglican Communion "which accept and endorse the principles" of the statement on human sexuality adopted by the Anglican Encounter in the South, probably has more support than most Episcopalians realize.

Many Anglicans in Africa and South America would subscribe to the statement on sexuality along with traditional Anglicans in other provinces. And six bishops affiliated with the Episcopal Synod of America also have endorsed it.

The statement, rapidly becoming known as the Kuala Lumpur Statement, for it was adopted in that Malaysian city, contains nothing more than what Christians have believed for centuries. The third of its 12 points expresses the need for the statement: " ... we express our profound concern about recent developments relating to church discipline and moral teaching in some provinces in the North - specifically, the ordination of practicing homosexuals and the blessing of same-sex unions." It's quite clear that the statement is aimed directly at the Episcopal Church, for it is this church which has moved most rapidly toward such ordinations and blessings, and indeed already has begun them unofficially.

Even though the Kuala Lumpur Statement may receive overwhelming acceptance by Anglicans in Third World countries, those churches may not be willing to go so far as to break communion with Anglicans who don't subscribe to the statement. Many of those Anglican provinces receive considerable financial aid from the Episcopal Church. If they were to break communion with the American church, many of their most vital ministries and programs could be weakened or even terminated.

We hope Episcopalians in position of leadership will take the Kuala Lumpur Statement seriously. Surely someone will bring it to General Convention, perhaps in the form of a resolution. It would be too much to expect convention to adopt such a resolution, but it would not be too optimistic to hope that convention would consider the ramifications of regularizing ordination of non-celibate homosexual persons and blessing of same-sex unions. The concerns of mutual accountability and interdependence within the Anglican Communion raised by the Kuala Lumpur Statement should be addressed. Seeking the counsel and wisdom of other Anglicans and trying to reach a common mind before acting on our own would be truly in the spirit and unity of Anglicanism.