The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church has notified Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh that a vote will be taken Thursday at a meeting of the Episcopal House of Bishops on whether to remove him from ministry.

Bishop Ducan notified the diocese today of the impending vote, which was expected. On Oct. 4 his diocese is scheduled to vote on whether to secede from the Episcopal Church -- the U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion -- and realign with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America.

Bishop Duncan and most of the leaders of the Diocese of Pittsburgh believe the U.S. church has become too liberal in matters of biblical interpretation and sexual ethics.

In today's pastoral letter, Bishop Duncan said his removal would do nothing to change the upcoming vote, since the diocesan Standing Committee, which is overwhelmingly in support of secession and realignment, would then in be in charge of the diocese. That view was confirmed by the Rev. James Simons, the one member of the standing committee who opposes secession.