The biggest gathering of British evangelical Christians for more than a decade is to meet in Blackpool this month to discuss strategy in dealing with the Church of England's crisis over homosexuality.
Up to 2,000 church members are meeting in an atmosphere so febrile that an invitation to Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, provoked controversy.
Two conservative pressure groups threatened to advise members to pull out if Dr Williams, perceived as a liberal, were invited. In a compromise he has been invited to say a few words and lead a prayer, and only one individual has pulled out. Hardline evangelicals, including Wallace Benn, the Bishop of Lewes, and Peter Jensen, the Bishop of Sydney, who have been outspoken in opposition to the appointment of gay bishops, will be among high-profile participants.
The meeting comes three weeks before Dr Williams calls together the 38 primates who lead the worldwide Anglican communion to decide how to respond to the crisis.