SAN JOSE, Calif., June 28 (UPI) -- Some U.S. Presbyterian Church members say a move to allow the ordination of openly gay and lesbian clergy will trigger a backlash by denomination members.
The Presbyterian Church (USA), the biggest group under the U.S. Presbyterian umbrella with 2.3 million members, voted Friday to amend its constitution to allow the ordination of gay clergy, just as the church's national governing body was deciding in San Jose, Calif., to not tamper with its own definition of marriage as being a "covenant between a woman and a man," The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
The conflicting moves with in the same denomination illustrated the struggles mainline Protestant faiths are facing on the issue of homosexuality.
Friday's vote, and a similar recent decision by Southern California Methodists to support same-sex unions in defiance of national leaders, has the potential to tear the religions apart and cost them some very successful congregations, a church leader told the newspaper.
"Already, many of our strongest churches, including mine, are losing members who are disgusted with a political operation that is not Christ-oriented or Scripture-oriented," said Rev. John Huffman of the 3,100-member St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, Calif.
