Pittsburgh Presbytery voted, 206-105, yesterday against a proposed amendment to the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) that would have eliminated a requirement for clergy and church officers to practice chastity in singleness and fidelity in heterosexual marriage.

The vote took place at a special meeting in Northmont United Presbyterian Church, McCandless. To take effect, the proposed amendment -- which would open the door to partnered gay clergy -- must be approved by at least 87 of 173 presbyteries in the 2.3 million-member denomination.

The denomination's news service reported last week that the tally stood 42-69 against the proposed amendment. An unofficial tally on the Web site of the conservative Presbyterian Coalition had the count at 43-72 against the measure Friday.

Prior to the debate yesterday, the Rev. Doug Portz, acting pastor to Pittsburgh Presbytery, called Presbyterians to focus on Jesus rather than on their differences, and to spend the next 30 days in intensive prayer for their church, their city and for the world.

A presbytery committee had reviewed more than two dozen amendments and statements proposed by last summer's General Assembly. It stayed neutral on the "chastity and fidelity" amendment but recommended passage of all others.

However, a proposed agreement between the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Episcopal Church to recognize each other's sacraments and allow case-by-case acceptance of each other's clergy stirred debate.

Several people were concerned or confused about how it would apply locally, where there are two bodies called the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. The larger of the two is aligned with an Anglican province in South America rather than with the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal agreement passed 140-135.

Two fathers of gay men spoke on opposite sides of the chastity and fidelity amendment.

"The current ordination standard cuts like a knife into the heart of what many presbytery members believe about their friends and family members who are gay," said Mike Fazzini, an elder at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church. "It sends my son the message that he is not worthy ... because the love of his life happens to be of the same sex."

Thomas Fox, an elder from Lebanon Presbyterian Church in West Mifflin, said one of his sons was gay and had died of AIDS.

"My son Don was a very loving son and I miss him greatly," he said. "However, he chose to live a life of sin ... I would not have recommended him for a position of leadership in the church."

The Rev. Robert Gagnon, a New Testament professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, challenged those who argued that Jesus said nothing about homosexuality.

When Jesus insisted on monogamous marriage, he predicated it on a passage in Genesis which says that "from the beginning God made them male and female ... In other words, the fact that God had designed two, and only two, sexes for complementary sexual pairing was Jesus' basis for monogamy," the Rev. Gagnon said.

The Rev. Jean Henderson, a retired pastor and past moderator of the presbytery, said she regretted remaining silent for 50 years about her support for gay ordination, especially after the death of the Rev. Brent Dugan, a beloved pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon, who committed suicide after his picture was shown in KDKA-TV news promos promising to reveal illicit sexual behavior.

"After the death of Brent Dugan in 2006 I came out of the closet as a straight ally for those who are striving simply to use the gifts that God has given them. I encourage you to let God's love in Christ overcome your fear and to vote for this amendment," she said.

After the vote, Carol Untch, chairman of the presbytery's Task Force on Ministry with Sexual Minorities, said she took comfort from six listening sessions held earlier, which she believed had encouraged genuine dialogue among people who disagree.

"It's not unexpected," she said of yesterday's vote. "It remains to be seen what happens with the whole denomination."

The Rev. Robert Titus, pastor of Lebanon Presbyterian Church, flew back from Florida to vote against the amendment.

"I thought the vote was a faithful expression of what we in Pittsburgh believe about leadership standards for the church," he said.