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Presbyterians in central North Carolina voted this week in favor of a proposed constitutional amendment that could allow gays to serve as ministers and elders.

Just a few votes at a quarterly gathering of the Salem Presbytery, which has 150 congregations in central North Carolina, made the difference Tuesday in passing the proposed change to the Book of Order, which is part of the denomination’s constitution.

The proposed amendment does not specifically allow for the ordination of gays but rather removes language that would prevent it. A majority of the 173 presbyteries, or local gatherings, of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is required to approve any change to the constitution.

“A great deal of my ministry has been to people who have been hurt by the church,” said the Rev. Lou East of Epiphany Presbyterian in Greensboro. “I hope that what happened yesterday was a healing word of welcome for those who have had the church door slammed in their face. I believe God’s church is big enough for all of us.”

Four of the five North Carolina Presbyteries have voted for the amendment. But on Wednesday, the amendment appeared to be falling short of the necessary votes to approve the change. The official tally will come in May.

“You’ve got two ends of the spectrum — the very conservative and the very liberal, and the middle is 70 percent, who are caught in a tug of war,” said Sam Marshall, the general presbyter who handles administrative duties. “I hope that what we will do is hold the church together through the tension, that this issue will not be given the power to divide or to split churches.”

The action follows the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which voted 380-325 in June to send the group’s 173 presbyteries a proposed amendment that would remove language requiring ministers to be in a heterosexual marriage or be celibate.

“I feel so strongly that the Scripture outlines the way that God intends for us to live our lives — and I believe the union between a man and woman is the way God intended,” said the Rev. Jesse Bledsoe, pastor of Buffalo Presbyterian Church who said he voted against the proposed amendment.

“The people who voted 'no’ yesterday, we don’t hate anybody, we don’t want to hurt anybody,” Bledsoe said. “We often get labeled as being homophobic or people who have 'hate speech,’ and that’s simply not the case. We love people, and we want them to know the truth of Scripture.”

The proposal would delete a paragraph in the Book of Order that requires church officers to live in “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness.” The paragraph itself was added in 1996, when the church was debating who could serve.

“Our tradition in the Presbyterian church is not to be that restrictive,” said Bob Kollar, an elder at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, who supported the 1996 amendment because he feared that the controversy would split the church.

“This current amendment reads in beautiful language … that those called … pledge themselves to live in obedience to Jesus Christ, striving to follow wherever he leads,” said Kollar, who supports the new amendment. “We do not as individual Christians and Presbyterians need to pass judgment on others. That’s not our responsibility.”

Some amendment supporters took hope from the number of presbyteries which previously had voted against similar amendments but which changed their votes this time.

“The witness to the world in the church is when those of us who disagree on some things can come together under the lordship of Jesus Christ,” East said. “To me, that’s the witness to the world and the 'see how they love one another’ part.”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com