GREENVILLE — Lutherans in southwestern Pennsylvania are calling on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America not to adopt a proposal to allow individual congregations to decide whether ministers in same-sex relationships can be ordained.

Opponents argued that such a practice would violate biblical teaching and church tradition and lead to more division if clergy members accepted in one congregation or synod could not serve in another.

"If we were to adopt these proposals, we would create a situation where we don't have full communion" within the church, said the Rev. David Gleason, of First Lutheran Church of Pittsburgh. "We would, in fact, be instituting a broken church."

The 430 clergy and lay members who voted Friday at Thiel College represent 85,000 members in 201 congregations of the 10-county Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The synod is one of 65 in the church that will hold its assembly Aug. 17-23 in Minneapolis.

The ordination recommendations are included in a proposed social statement on many aspects of sexuality drawn up over a period of years by a task force. They acknowledge that the denomination is deeply divided over gay relationships and ask both sides to live in peace with each other.

The synod overwhelmingly called for a two-thirds vote to be required for proposed changes to ministry policy, and at least 90 percent approved by a show of hands the call to reject the proposed changes. The assembly then voted 219-123 to urge the national church to reject the social statement.

"If we abandon scripture, we have relativized everything," said the Rev. Philip Gustafson, pastor of Reformation and St. Paul churches in Vandergrift.

But the Rev. Richard Krug, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, North Versailles, said Christians had in the past changed their understanding of biblical teaching about matters such as slavery or divorce.

"Maybe God can speak through others who are no longer willing to be condemned ... and put down for who they are as human beings, even as they struggle within the church," he said.

Members, however, rejected a proposal to allow congregations upset by the actions of the national church to divert their expected gifts for a national mission to a local synod fund. Instead, a modified proposal praising mission giving and eliminating the diversion language was affirmed.