But a British evangelical group called for a formalized split in the Anglican Church, arguing that the creation of a gay bishop ran counter to church teaching.

"Gene Robinson and all of those bishops who supported him have decided to split the Anglican Church by stepping beyond what is acceptable," said a spokesman from the Reform group.

"For us, it will mean seeking reassurances from our bishops that they won't have anything to do with those who have taken these steps and a failure to get those reassurances will cause splits in this country".

Believing that "homosexual relationships are clearly contrary to the teaching of Holy Scripture", the group called on the Anglican Communion "now formalize a separation that has already occurred".

Also, the threat to split away is especially strong in developing countries where many church leaders stick to the scriptural precept that the practice of homosexuality is a sin.

In Australia, Sydney's Archbishop Peter Jensen said the U.S. church had succumbed to the "pervasive culture of permissiveness".

"Western culture is very individualistic, it's greedy and it's sexually permissive," Jensen said, noting the church "sometimes buckles under this and I'm afraid it has in this particular case.

In Kenya, the Anglican Church said it will officially sever ties with its U.S. counterpart over the weekend consecration.

"As a church, we are not going to support homosexuality in the church, primarily because it is a sin," Eldoret Diocese Bishop Thomas Kogo said on Monday.

Uganda's Anglican Church threatened a similar step in reaction to "unscriptural" consecration of Robinson.

"We have already made a resolution that the (Anglican) Church of Uganda will break fellowship with any diocese that takes steps to consecrate a gay clergy (member) or blesses marriages of gays or lesbians," said Anglican Church spokesman Reverend Jackson Turyagenda.

In Nigeria, the Anglican Church rejects the consecration, with Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon of Kaduna said Nigerian worshippers opposed active homosexuality in the priesthood.

For the past few months, Robinson has come under intense pressure to refuse the nomination of his New Hampshire diocese, with Anglican leaders warning that his consecration would "tear the fabric" of the church.

So vehement was some of the opposition to the idea of an openly sexually active gay bishop that Robinson had to be given police protection after he received numerous death threats.

At one stage of the ceremony, two clerics took advantage of a rarely-optioned right to voice objections.

"The ministry of this one bishop will not be recognized by most Anglicans in the world," said assistant Bishop David Bena of Albany, New York, who spoke on behalf of a group of dissenting U.S. and Canadian bishops.

Arguing that Robinson's chosen lifestyle was "incompatible with Scripture," Bena said it was "impossible to confirm or consecrate a candidate for bishop ... whose very consecration is breaking the Communion".

Outside the arena venue, some protestors carried placards with the slogan "God Hates Fags," while a number of Episcopal churches in the area held alternative services for those opposed to the consecration.