The Bishop of Oxford has received the support of leading members of the Church of England for his decision to install a gay cleric as Bishop of Reading.

The Bishop of Oxford, The Rt Rev Richard Harries, pictured yesterday at the opening of Church Cowley St James School, Oxford

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has confirmed he will lead the consecration of Canon Jeffery John at Westminster Abbey in October.

The decision follows the publication of an open letter of support from eight bishops.

The Bishop of Oxford, The Rt Rev Richard Harries has been heavily criticised for appointing Canon John.

Evangelical parishes in the Oxford Diocese, which includes Reading, have threatened not to recognise Bishop Richard as a member of the Anglican Church for the appointment, which they say contradicts the Scriptures.

The row threatens to split the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican community. Dr Williams and Bishop Richard are seen as belonging to the liberalising wing of the Anglican Church. Evangelicals take a more inflexible view of Biblical teachings.

Liberalising bishops see Canon John's appointment as a way of fighting homosexual prejudice in the church.

The letter of support signed by bishops including the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Timothy Stevens, the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev John Oliver, and the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev Dr Peter Selby, said: "Although Dr John's appointment was related to the needs of the Diocese of Oxford and the Reading Episcopal Area, his arrival will enable our listening to gay Christians in our midst, rather than at second hand."