The Church of England has been plunged into turmoil after legislation introducing the first women bishops failed to clear its final hurdle at the General Synod.
The draft measure was carried in the houses of bishops and clergy of the General Synod but failed to gain the necessary two- thirds majority among the lay members of the General Synod.
The House of Bishops voted 44 in favour, with three against and two recorded abstentions. In the House of Clergy, 148 voted in favour, 45 against and there were no abstentions.
However, in the House of Laity, 74 voted against, compared to 132 in favour with no abstentions.
The result will be seen as a major blow to the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, who launched a campaign in favour of a yes vote last month.
The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Rev Justin Welby, also urged the General Synod to give the legislation the necessary majority.
The vote comes after a series of speakers opposed giving final approval to the legislation.
Canon Simon Killwick, a vicar in Moss Side, Manchester, chairman of the Catholic Group in the General Synod, urged members to vote against the legislation.
"I do not believe this draft legislation will be good for the Church of England," he said. "We are all desperate to move on from the sad infighting of the last few years – but this legislation does not provide a clear way forward."
General Synod member Susie Leafe said she believed the result was because of faults in the legislation.
She said: "I think it is really very sad. Today was never going to be a good day.
"There were a lot of places along the way we could have had a measure in front of us that wouldn't have been voted down, and it's very sad this was able to go on without us facing the reality of the situation.
"I know there is a large minority in the Church that feel the same way as I do. We knew it was going to be very, very close."
However, she said supporters will still try and go on with their fight, adding: "We'll take a new piece of paper and we'll start again and we'll find a way of doing this.
"Churches will still be open on Sunday."
Dr Williams said: "This vote of course isn't the end of the story, this is not an issue that is going to go away.
"About three-quarters of the total membership of Synod voted for this, the dioceses voted for it, there is still the will for this to happen and so what the Church of England now has to do is find a way forward."
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