I can only wonder, is not Jesus Christ incredibly saddened by this? Is not His Holy Spirit grieved to see His Anglican children at each other's throats? Is he not sad to see that one of the churches that make up the Body of Christ is flagrantly defiant and not humbly accepting charitable correction?

The actions of the primates in some way impacts all Episcopalians -- current and former. Those Episcopalians who have left The Episcopal Church for the Anglican Continuum, ACNA, the Anglican Ordinariate or other dominations still have Episcopal DNA imprinted deeply within in their spirits, souls and psyches. What they learned and prayed as Episcopalians forms who they are as vibrant Christians today.

The Episcopal Church at one time was a grand church. Originally an early daughter of the Church of England -- the church of kings and queens -- she later became the church of presidents. Anglicanism was implanted in this country before this country became a country. Early English explorers came to North American shores with thoughts of adventure on the one hand and the Book of Common Prayer in the other.

But now The Episcopal Church has become the laughing stock of American denominations as her dirty laundry is aired and devastating internal infighting is played out in public for all the world and the whole host of heaven to see. This is a process that former Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori described as "incarnate messiness."

It is sad. It is incredibly sad.

I again hung my head in shame as newly-minted Presiding Bishop Michael Curry played the race card in Canterbury Cathedral as the Primates decided that The Episcopal Church should step back from active participation in ecumenical and interfaith affairs and internal Communion-wide doctrinal decisions for three years.

"I stand before you as a descendant of African slaves, stolen from their native land, enslaved in a bitter bondage, and then even after emancipation, segregated and excluded in church and society," he said as he stood among his fellow primates, some of whom actually hail from Africa -- Archbishop Eliud Wabukala (Kenya); Archbishop Thabo Makgoba (South Africa); Archbishop Kahwa Henri Isingoma (the Congo); Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul Yak (the Sudan); Archbishop Nicholas Okoh (Nigeria); Onesphore Rwaje (Rwanda); Archbishop Albert Chama (Zimbabwe); Archbishop Jacob Erasto Chimeledya (Tanzania); Bernard Ntahoturi (Burundi); Archbishop Daniel Sarfo (Ghana); and Archbishop Mouneer Anis, (Egypt). The Ugandan primate (Archbishop Stanley Ntagali) had left the Primates' Gathering early and the Ugandan-born Archbishop of York John Sentamu now lives in England. Even Archbishop Ian Ernest's Anglican Province of the Indian Ocean encompasses the large Madagascar island off the Mozambique cost.

Of course, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Curry learned his trump card tactics from his predecessor Katharine Jefferts Schori. She played the radical feminist card as the first female to break through the stained glass ceiling, becoming the first, and so far only, woman primate in Anglicanism. Curry also has observed Vicky Gene Robinson (IX New Hampshire), who continually plays the militant gay pride agenda card as he trumpets his deviant sexual proclivities.

In part the breakdown in sexual morals and the redefinition of marriage within The Episcopal Church, which led up to last week's vote by the primates to levy consequences or sanctions in the disciplining of the American church, can be laid at the feet of Bishop Robinson. He champions gay "rights" and same-sex "marriage" as well as full transgendered inclusion over the Gospel's Good News of salvation, Biblical standards of marriage, and human dignity.

Bishop Robinson is also the poster boy for defiance. After his election as the Bishop of New Hampshire he was purposely not invited by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to participate in the 2008 Lambeth Conference. He went anyway, hanging around the fringes and generating as much press coverage as he could muster to proclaim his LGBTIQXYZ message.

Now The Episcopal Church has been restricted from participating in ecumenical and interfaith bodies and internal doctrinal decision-making, including the Anglican Consultative Council. Episcopal Church House of Deputies President Gay Clark Jennings is having none of it.

The Primates' Communique is clear: "It is our unanimous desire to walk together," the communique states. "However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years TEC no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision-making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity."

The House of Deputies' President is thumbing her nose at the news.

"The practical consequences of the primates' action will be that, for three years, Episcopalians will not be invited to serve on certain committees, or will be excluded from voting while they are there," she writes. "However, the primates do not have authority over the Anglican Consultative Council, the worldwide body of bishops, clergy and lay people that facilitates the cooperative work of the churches of the Anglican Communion. I serve as a representative to that body ... and I am planning to travel to Zambia for our scheduled meeting in April and to participate fully."

I am saddened to see such defiance, an unwillingness to think of the greater good rather than selfish narrow thinking, undermining the healing of the Anglican Communion. This is an indication that biology rather than theology is at the core of many -- though not all -- remaining Episcopalians. It's time to again fold my hands in tearful prayer.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.