(TRUNEWS) The U.S. Episcopal Church is now prohibited for three years from making policy decisions, now that Anglican leaders have punished them for their stand on gay marriage.

The church has 85 million members in the U.S.

The announcement came after a meeting in England, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who wanted to prevent the Anglican Communion from splitting. While he is standing by the decision, he apologized for any “hurt and pain” felt by the gay community, according to the BBC.

The debate started in 2003 when the U.S. Episcopal Church ordained an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson.

During the four-day meeting, the leaders upheld marriage as between a man and woman.

Recent Church History

Church leaders in the U.S. tend to be more liberal, which was causing other leaders, especially from Africa, to express their concern over the direction of the church. Some even threatened to walk out of the recent meetings, unless disciplinary action was applied.

A group of conservatives within the church, known as GAFCON boycotted the 2008 Lambeth Conferences, which is a gathering of bishops from around the world every 10 years, over the Robinson ordination.

The Anglican Communion is an association of churches, including the Church of England. The Archbishop presides over other bishops, but does not have direct authority outside of England.  His primary role is to promote unity.