Resolutions by the U.S. Episcopal Church to ordain openly gay bishops could greatly weaken the church, conservative church members said.

At the national convention in Anaheim, Calif., Episcopal bishops Monday voted to open "any ordained ministry" to gay men and women, a move that could undermine a 3-year-old moratorium on ordaining gay bishops, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

A similar measure was passed Sunday by the House of Deputies, comprising Episcopal clergy and lay people.

Integrity USA, an advocacy group for gay men and women in the church, lauded the actions as a historic move while others, including conservatives, predicted deeper divisions within the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is the American branch with an estimated 2 million members.

"I long for us to be an inclusive church, but not a polarized church. We need to be a part of the larger Anglican Communion in what we do in this matter," said Bishop Henry Parsley of Alabama, who voted against the resolution.