National Briefing - Religion - Pittsburgh Bishop Is Ousted - NYTimes.com An Episcopal bishop, whose diocese is moving toward splitting from the national church, was ousted from ministry. The House of Bishops voted 88 to 35 to remove the bishop, Robert W. Duncan of Pittsburgh, on a charge of "abandonment of the communion of this church." Bishop Duncan, who led the Pittsburgh diocese for 11 years, is a leader in a national network of theological conservatives who are breaking away from the liberal denomination in a dispute over Scripture. The debate erupted in 2003, when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The Pittsburgh diocese said it would move ahead with the Oct. 4 secession vote.