On a day when the appointed gospel lesson throughout the Anglican Communion was a prayer for unity, there appeared to be precious little of that sentiment among dueling celebrants at Christ Church in Accokeek, Md.

A foggy dawn on May 27 gradually lifted to reveal the Rt. Rev. Jane Holmes Dixon, Bishop Pro Tempore of Washington, celebrating the Holy Eucharist on a basketball court outside while the Rev. Samuel L. Edwards, the priest whose election she refuses to approve, celebrated inside the church.

The situation has become further entangled by the appointment of an apparently unwelcome interim rector and the unprecedented willingness of another bishop to cross diocesan boundaries unilaterally and assume pastoral oversight of the congregation.

Fr. Edwards was called to be rector by the church vestry on Dec. 13. Bishop Dixon rejected that call citing concerns that the traditionalist priest would be unwilling to recognize the authority of a woman bishop and might try to lead the 303-year-old parish out of the Episcopal Church. In addition to the theological divide, there is a canonical dispute over the legality of Bishop Dixon's rejection which occurred after the permitted 30-day period. The 60-day period during which Fr. Edwards could serve as rector without approval expired May 25.

Earlier in the week, Bishop Dixon said she planned to be seated in the congregation, but decided on a Eucharist of her own when she learned of the arrival of the Rt. Rev. Edward MacBurney, retired Bishop of Quincy, and a staunch supporter of traditionalist priests.

After being met at the front door by senior warden Barbara Sturman and Charles F. Nalls, a lawyer retained by the parish, Bishop Dixon was invited to worship but told she could not enter if she intended to try to lead the service. Bishop Dixon then announced that the Rt. Rev. Ronald Haines, retired Bishop of Washington, would be the interim rector for the month of June and moved with her supporters to a nearby sports shed, where she began to prepare a make-shift altar.

Prior to the start of the outdoor service, Bishop MacBurney read a letter from the Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth, in which Bishop Iker said he had agreed to a plea from the wardens, vestry and rector to place the congregation under his "episcopal oversight and protection ... for as long as the current circumstances make it necessary." Bishop MacBurney read the same letter to worshipers inside the church at the conclusion of that service.

The open-air service attracted 122 persons, 22 of them current members of the parish and another 35 former members, according to a count compiled by the parish vestry. A like number, almost all parishioners, were present inside the red-brick church. Birds chirped, a bell tolled briefly, and a damp breeze blew over the rolling green churchyard studded with the graves of three centuries' worth of departed church members.

While the service inside was relatively peaceful, the one outside was repeatedly interrupted by hecklers, including Stan Hupert, the husband of a young parishioner. Mr. Hupert stood directly in front of the improvised altar and asked repeatedly in a loud voice: "Why are we here? Why do we have to do this?"

He then proceeded to sit in front of the outdoor altar, forcing those distributing the elements to move around him awkwardly.

The morning's uneasiness overflowed when Bishop Dixon ordered reporters and photographers to the back of the shed. When some refused to comply, David Dixon, husband of Bishop Dixon, allegedly shoved junior warden Frank MacDonough.

Both sides in the dispute told the Washington Post that they expect to ask a judge to decide whether Bishop Dixon has the authority to remove Fr. Edwards and also to determine who owns the deed to the parish property. In general, Episcopal parishes hold property in trust for their diocese, but there appears to be some question at Christ Church because of a Maryland statute regarding parish property and the fact that the existence of Christ Church predates the formation of the Episcopal Church.

Bishop Dixon is scheduled this week to consult with diocesan leaders about her next move while the vestry is said to be considering filing trespassing charges against Bishop Dixon and assault charges against her husband.

(The Rev.) James B. Simpson