COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nevada Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori became the first woman to lead any church in the global Anglican Communion when she was elected yesterday to be the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.

The choice of Bishop Jefferts Schori may worsen – and could even splinter – the already difficult relations between the American denomination and its fellow Anglicans. Episcopalians have been sparing with many in the other 37 Anglican provinces over homosexuality, but a female leader adds a new layer of complexity to the already troubled relationship.

Only two other Anglican provinces – New Zealand and Canada – have female bishops, although a handful of other provinces allow women to serve in the post. Still, there are many Anglican leaders who believe women should not even be priests.

Bishop Jefferts Schori was elected at the Episcopal General Convention, where delegates have been debating whether to appease Anglican leaders by agreeing to temporarily stop ordaining gay bishops. In 2003, the Americans shocked the Anglican world by electing the first openly gay bishop – V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Placing a female bishop at the head of the denomination could further anger conservatives worldwide and even within the American church. And Bishop Jefferts Schori voted to confirm Bishop Robinson.

Episcopal bishops elected Bishop Jefferts Schori on the fifth ballot in a 95-93 vote from a field including six other male candidates; other General Convention delegates confirmed the choice.

The presiding bishop represents the Episcopal Church in meetings with other Anglican leaders and with leaders of other religious groups. But the presiding bishop’s power is limited because of the democratic nature of the church. The General Convention is the top Episcopal policy-making body and dioceses elect their own bishops.

Bishop Jefferts Schori will inherit a fractured church. The Pittsburgh-based Anglican Communion Network, which represents 10 American conservative dioceses and more than 900 parishes within the Episcopal Church, is deciding whether to break from the denomination. The House of Bishops recently started a defense fund that will help fight legal battles against parishes that want to leave and take their property with them.

Membership in the Episcopal Church, as in other mainline Protestant groups, has been declining for years and has remained overwhelmingly white. More than a quarter of the 2.3 million parishioners are age 65 or older.