BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: U.S. Episcopal bishops this week pledged to seek unity within their deeply divided denomination. The pledge came at the bishops' annual fall meeting, held this year in Spokane, Washington. The U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion were thrown into crisis last summer, when the U.S. Church approved its first openly gay bishop. A panel studying how the international church can avoid schism will release its report on October 18. Kim Lawton has our story.

KIM LAWTON: The theme of this year's House of Bishops meeting was reconciliation ... finding unity in the midst of profound cultural and theological differences. In a statement written to the Episcopal Church at large, the bishops said, "We are confident that our household of faith is large enough to embrace us all." But they also acknowledged that anger, anguish, and division have been on the rise over issues of homosexuality.

Bishop EDWARD SALMON JR. (Diocese of South Carolina): I said, it's like being in a train wreck.

LAWTON: About 130 bishops attended with their spouses, down from the numbers who attended previous meetings. Several prominent conservative bishops boycotted, unwilling to participate with the body that approved the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire -- the church's first openly gay bishop. This frustrated many of their fellow bishops.

Bishop J. JON BRUNO (Diocese of Los Angeles): It's pretty hard to have differences of opinion if there aren't two people willing to state their positions and express their differences looking for a place of resolution.

LAWTON: Bishop Edward Salmon of South Carolina was one of the conservatives who did attend.

Bishop SALMON: I came here committed to present what I thought needed to be said, and I've done that, and I've tried to do that with grace and with clarity, and I am very clear about where we stand in the diocese.