A world Anglican panel acknowledged Wednesday that Episcopal bishops are making some concessions to ease the turmoil sparked in 2003 when they consecrated their church's first openly gay bishop.

But the committee said that all sides in the long-running conflict over homosexuality and interpretation of the Bible need to do much more to keep the beleaguered worldwide Anglican fellowship from splitting.

The advisory report from the lay-clergy Joint Standing Committee was written for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, as he struggles to prevent a schism in the 77-million-member Anglican Communion.

The Episcopal Church, the Anglican body in the U.S., has been on the defensive since consecrating New Hampshire's Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who has a male domestic partner.

Anglican leaders had set last Sunday as the deadline for the Americans to pledge unequivocally not to consecrate another gay bishop or approve an official prayer service for same-sex couples.

Episcopal bishops responded at a meeting in New Orleans last week, saying they will "exercise restraint" in approving another gay bishop and won't authorize prayers to bless same-sex couples. Many theological conservatives condemned that response as inadequate, while some liberals accused the bishops of sacrificing gays for the sake of unity.

In its report Wednesday, the committee indicated that the two Episcopal pledges from New Orleans fulfilled the requests of Anglican leaders. However, the panel said the Americans must do more to support theological conservatives, who are a minority within the church.

About 65 of the more than 7,000 U.S. parishes are breaking with the national church, or have lost most of their clergy. On Tuesday, Christ Episcopal Church in Savannah, Ga., established in 1733, announced it is splitting from the denomination.

At least four of the 110 Episcopal dioceses — Fort Worth, Texas; Pittsburgh; Quincy, Ill.; and San Joaquin, Calif. — are breaking away and aligning with an overseas Anglican leader. Most Anglican churches outside the U.S. view homosexuality as condemned by scripture.

"Unless some measure of reassurance and security is given to those congregations, parishes, bishops and dioceses who are feeling an increasing sense of alienation from the Episcopal Church, there will be no reconciliation either within the Episcopal Church or within the wider Anglican Communion," the panel wrote.

But the committee had equally frank criticism of overseas Anglican conservatives who have been consecrating bishops to lead networks of breakaway parishes in the United States. "We believe that the time is right for a determined effort to bring interventions to an end," the panel wrote.

The committee also said it is "dismayed" that some disputes between Episcopal leaders and departing parishes had ended up in court. It said the litigation should end.