Peters Creek Presbyterian Church voted 273-86 yesterday to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA ) for the more theologically conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

The vote -- which included two abstentions -- represented more than half the church's full membership of 595 and just over 75 percent of the 361 ballots cast. Those percentages would meet the standard that Washington Presbytery set in July to consider allowing churches that want to move to the other denomination to do so along with their property.

But because Peters Creek initiated its move before that plan was adopted, the presbytery is not required to consider those numbers in its case. In the absence of such a local plan, denominational law says that the property belongs to the denomination.

"We have placed the future of this ministry into your hands and into the hands of Washington Presbytery," the Rev. L. Rus Howard said in a prayer after the decision was announced. "Help us treat each other with love and grace and mercy."

The vote took place during a Sunday service. But, unlike most Sundays, the sunlit sanctuary was packed with a crowd that filled the choir loft and chairs set up in the entryway. Theological differences with the Presbyterian Church (USA) are the reason the congregation wants to leave, but it wanted to resolve the ownership of its property quickly because it is ready to expand onto a neighboring farm it has purchased.

Howard Jack, an elder in the congregation and a retired superintendant of the Peters Township School District, introduced the vote, reminding the congregation that its lay governing board had voted unanimously to change denominations. The litigious rancor that had characterized the interaction between the congregation and Washington Presbytery since April was absent yesterday. Dr. Jack thanked the presbytery representatives "for hearing our concerns" and allowing the vote to go forward.

The Rev. Howard preached while the ballots were counted. He did not speak directly of the movement by a group of conservative congregations in the Presbyterian Church (USA) to move to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church over both doctrinal issues and sexual ethics. Two congregations in Pittsburgh Presbytery, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in Mt. Lebanon and Memorial Park Presbyterian Church in McCandless, have also voted to do so.

In his sermon on sin and forgiveness, the Rev. Howard spoke of the Reformation movement that Martin Luther started in the 16th century. In Luther's day, he said, the problem was that the church and culture stressed sin to the virtual exclusion of grace. The problem now, he said, is that sin is given so little weight that it's hard for people to feel the need for salvation through Christ.

Martin Luther, he said, "led not only the Reformation ... but this led to the reformation of the Catholic Church 100 years after his life and ministry."

Peters Creek had a larger percentage of opposition to change than either Beverly Heights or Memorial Park, whose respective votes were 195-4 and 951-93.

Richard St. Clair of Finleyville, a member for more than 30 years, was among those who wanted to stay in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

He said he regretted that only in the past two weeks did the presbytery have an opportunity to present the case for staying.

"I'm very proud of the 80-some people who voted for us to remain Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church. That was not an easy thing to do," he said.

He has not yet decided whether he will remain with the congregation, but said he does not intend to fight the move.

"The 75.6 percent speaks for itself," he said. "I respectfully disagree with that. My complaint isn't with the vote. It was with the process."

The Rev. David Bleivik, executive presbyter of Washington Presbytery, said that "things were done tastefully today."

"This now requires a great deal of prayer and concern as to what the next course is," he said. "I also pray that all parties will seek to outdo each other in caring for all the body of Peters Creek.

"We in the presbytery will do everything we can to support those who wish to be part of the presbytery -- without malice toward those who voted to leave."

That minority was also on the mind of those leading the charge to change.

"There is a lot of work to be done -- a lot of reconciliation," Dr. Jack said. "There were 86 who voted no, and we need to consider the significance of that. We won't be taking that lightly."

That is one of two challenges ahead, the Rev. Howard said.

The first "is that the presbytery will respect the will of the body," he said.

"The other I'm praying for is that the Presbyterian Church believes that the Spirit of God speaks through the majority. The way we handle that is that when we are in the minority we submit to the will of the majority. I hope that everyone in this body will come together."

Church elder Ray Peterson was pleased with the vote and the turnout.

"It would be wonderful if we could have a vote every week," he said. "There were people here today who haven't been here in years. They are welcome here every week. We'll even give them valet parking."