Memorial Park Presbyterian Church in McCandless, the largest church in Pittsburgh Presbytery, voted 951-93 to ask to be dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to join the more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

		Listen in The Rev. Dean Weaver preaches from the Book of Acts. To download the file to your computer, right click on the above link and select "Save Target As ..." After the file has finished downloading, double-click on the file to listen to the audio. Related links Read Acts 5 A sermon that the Rev. James Mead, pastor to Pittsburgh Presbytery, delivered last September on divisions in the church and on the mission of Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Negotiations may begin this week to allow the church to keep its property. The presbytery must approve any settlement.

At least 761 votes were needed to seek dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA). Memorial Park has more than 1,600 members, but the presbytery and the congregation agreed on a smaller number of active, available members from which to calculate the majority needed for the vote.

"I feel humbled and grateful to God that our congregation spoke with such a clear, compelling voice -- with a voice full of grace and compassion, but also with determination to follow Christ," said the Rev. Dean Weaver, senior pastor of Memorial Park and national co-moderator of the New Wineskins Association of Churches, a conservative movement in the 2.4 million-member Presbyterian Church (USA).

The next step, he said, "is to continue to work faithfully with our brothers and sisters in the Presbytery of Pittsburgh for a negotiated settlement that will be gracious and honor Christ."

The Rev. James Mead, pastor to Pittsburgh Presbytery, also expressed gratitude that the vote was clear, but he was not happy.

"We are saddened that Memorial Park members and leaders have elected to separate," he said.

Memorial Park, like many in New Wineskins, believes its denomination has downgraded biblical authority and compromised classical Christian doctrines such as salvation through Christ alone. Dr. Mead, an evangelical, has publicly argued that those claims are exaggerated and that the church's theology is solidly biblical.

"However. we believe that wrestling with such painful issues is part of God's redemptive plan for the world," he said. "It's our prayer that, as we move forward, our Christian love for each other will shine forth in our community.

But he said Memorial Park's rhetoric has alienated other pastors, which could complicate negotiations. In response to complaints from pastors whose members received Memorial Park's literature from friends, he said, the presbytery yesterday took out newspaper ads affirming that Pittsburgh Presbytery believes in salvation through Christ alone, in biblical authority and in traditional Christian sexual ethics.

"The efforts of the leadership of Memorial Park over the past several years have been somewhat wounding to other pastors in the presbytery -- disseminating the kind of information that appears to many, perhaps most, in the presbytery to be misleading," Dr. Mead said. "So these are going to be tough negotiations."

Yesterday's vote took place during a service that replaced all four normal weekend services. Overflow crowds watched by closed circuit from other rooms. Volunteers from nearby North Park Evangelical Presbyterian Church -- the denomination Memorial Park hopes to join -- parked cars. At Dr. Weaver's invitation, volunteers from Allison Park Assembly of God were present to pray that God's will be done.

There was an opportunity to ask questions before the vote. There were none.

While votes were tallied, Dr. Weaver preached from Acts 5, in which some religious leaders wanted to kill the apostles to stop them from preaching about Jesus. They were dissuaded by Rabbi Gamaliel, whose work is still revered by modern Jews. He told the others to let the apostles go, saying, "If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourself fighting against God."

That is the principle that members should follow with regard to the vote, Dr. Weaver said. "The best thing you can do is just let it go. If it's [not of God], it will fizzle out."

There was brief applause when the vote was announced. Dr. Weaver asked God to comfort those who had voted with the minority, "that they would know they are loved and are part of this congregation," he said.

Al Hodil, a member since 1999, was near tears afterward, but said it was the right decision.

"I think this is about getting us back to Scripture," he said. "But how can you be happy? I think it's good for the congregation, but sad it has to come to this."

Marjorie Gray, an elderly woman who joined in 1999, said she supported the decision "because I don't believe two women or two men were meant to be joined together."

But Nancy Lee Cochran, a church elder, said discussions had never emphasized sexuality.

"You can search the New Wineskins Web site and the Memorial Park material and you will find no literature on homosexuality," she said. "The bigger issue is striving to live a holy life ... Homosexuality is just a small piece of that."

The Rev. Douglas Portz, associate pastor to Pittsburgh Presbytery, was one of six observers from the presbytery. There will be sadness on all sides, he said.

"I've been told that this vote has divided families, friends, Bible studies, husbands and wives," he said. "The presbytery stands ready, with the leadership of Memorial Park, to provide pastoral care for those who may wish to relocate to another church."

In the meantime, "We will continue to act as brothers and sisters in Christ as we continue the long process of discussing the issues" involved in a settlement.