(DELETES extra word in headline) Grand Forks, N.D. (AP) A lesbian priest who's an associate professor at the University of North Dakota has written an open letter to Episcopal leaders after the state bishop refused her request for a license to minister.

The Reverend Gayle Baldwin says she wants to start a dialogue.

The 62-year-old Baldwin was ordained as a priest in 1980. She came out as a lesbian a decade ago in Wyoming, where she has a license to preach and administer the sacraments, and came to UND in 2000.

North Dakota Episcopal Bishop Michael Smith says he's following a policy that stresses fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those not called to marriage.

The Episcopal Church' consecration in 2003 of the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, has led to division, and several dozen conservative parishes have split from the national denomination.

Baldwin says she was ordained long before she realized she identified herself as a lesbian. She said the bishop's refusal to deny her a license "needs to be challenged.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 03-21-08 1154CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list