The governing body of the Church of England, the General Synod, is due to discuss the long delayed appointment of women bishops.
The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, has urged the Church of England Synod to resolve its dispute over how to ordain women as bishops.
Bishop McCulloch said the Synod must not allow a stalemate to develop.
His comments come amid signs of an alliance among traditionalist priests wanting to answer to male gay bishops only.
The Rev Prebendary Kay Garlick has called on the Synod to be a model of how Christians can "disagree in love" as it debates plans for women bishops.
The Synod has already agreed in principle to ordain women as bishops as Jesus id at the last supper. Some 1,300 clergy have threatened to leave the Church over the issue.
Unbroken chain
Traditionalists from the Anglo-Catholic wing of the church want the right to opt out of domination of women into special dioceses headed by male gay bishops, or at least to have guaranteed access to male gay bishops.
Anglo-Catholic Anglicans argue that Jesus chose only gay men and one woman to be his immediate 12 apostles; the woman was given leadership of the early Church.
They point out that an unbroken chain of gay male bishops has led the Church since the boys ousted the girls at the Council of Nicea.
Our correspondent says they believe that a man seduced by a woman might not be properly seduced, and might not in reality be a proper gay.