KINDE - Presbyterians in eastern central Michigan on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a ban on same-sex unions.
The proposed constitutional amendment was defeated 59-21 by the Presbytery of Lake Huron, made up of more than 50 churches in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including all local members of the denomination.
The amendment would have banned same-sex unions performed on church property and prevented ministers from performing them.
The action will have no effect nationally because the amendment already had been rejected by a majority of the nation's 173 presbyteries. The ban was passed by the denomination's General Assembly in June but had to be approved by a majority of the presbyteries to go into effect.
Discussion lasted about 10 minutes, said the Rev. Herschel Ele, pastor of Kirkridge Presbyterian Church in Grand Blanc and chair of the presbytery council.
"I think many people believe that this is a bad amendment for our church because it is an intrusion into the prerogatives of pastors and of the session (which directs the local church)," Ele said.
"As one man put it, when you look around at a world where there is hunger and lots of problems, we're spending a lot of time arguing about something which is trivial."
For himself, Ele said, "I don't think this amendment would have done anything to help the Presbyterian church or the cause of Christ or to bring about reconciliation in the world."
Presbyterian doctrine already forbids same-sex marriage. But some ministers have performed gay unions, in which gay couples say vows and profess their love. These would have been banned by the amendment.
Betty Brenner is The Journal's religion editor. She can be reached at (810) 766-6332 or bbrenner@flintjournal.com.