Although no Butler County churches have opted to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, at least 86 people are interested in the topic.

A crowd that size attended a talk at the Days Inn Sept. 23 by the Rev. David Barnhart, a former ELCA pastor who operates as Abiding Word Ministries in Canal Winchester, Ohio.

The talk was hosted by the Committee of Concerned Lutherans, a group whose majority attends St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church on West Jefferson Street.

As part of his ministry, Barnhart speaks on theological differences between Lutherans and how they interpret the Bible.

"The number one issue is the authority of Scriptures," Barnhart said. "Is the Bible God's word or does it merely contain the word of God?

"We're going away from the Scriptures and allowing other authorities to govern our decisions."

Barnhart said examples include the way some churches use gender-neutral terminology like "our father and mother in Heaven" and the fact that ELCA health care benefits cover abortions.

The most recent example arose in August 2009, when the ELCA's national assembly voted to ordain gay and lesbian clergy.

According to Bishop Kurt Kusserow of the Southwestern Pennsylvania synod, the decision prompted no initial departures from the Pittsburgh-based synod, which includes 200 congregations in 10 counties including Butler.

But the formation last month of a new Lutheran body, the North American Lutheran Church, has led at least two churches in the synod to formally begin the process.

Churches wishing to leave the ELCA must conduct two votes 90 days apart, both achieving two-thirds approval. During the interim, the churches consult with their synod bishop.

According to Kusserow and others, churches that leave ELCA can retain property ownership as long as they align with another Lutheran group.

According to the Fall edition of Barnhart's newsletter The Vine and Branches, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sarver has conducted the first successful vote. However, members of that church are unready to discuss the issue.

St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saxonburg also has no determined status.

"What I can say: We're certainly in the process of trying to discern what does this mean," said the Rev. Roger Keller.

The Rev. Al Towberman of St. Mark's was unavailable for comment, however Nancy Fisher, a member of the Committee of Concerned Lutherans, said the church has initiated no such vote. The committee of nine was formed to educate the congregation and help assess members' desire to vote.

Fisher, 72, of Summit Township, said church members will likely vote to begin the process, since many began leaving after the Aug. 2009 ruling.

"We're losing them Sunday after Sunday," she said. "It's so sparse. It's just really sad."

"It's not the fact that we don't welcome the homosexuals in our congregations, because we have numerous ones at St. Mark's," she added.

"It's we feel they shouldn't be ordained ... or working in our Sunday schools. We don't feel that's what Scripture says to us."

Although Lutherans like Fisher express dismay at the ruling, Kusserow said many congregations are uninterested, especially since churches have the power to accept or reject pastoral candidates.

According to the Rev. Don Short, pastor of Grace at Calvary Lutheran Church on Diamond Street, his church is among the unconcerned.

"Most people in our congregation understand the decision of whether or not to call a gay or lesbian pastor is entirely up to the individual congregation," he said.

"The fact of the matter is, some churches — particularly in Atlanta and San Francisco — want gay pastors because they have more gay couples in their congregation.

"That's not the case here," Short added. "And as near as I know, it's not really an issue in the Butler area."

The Rev. Tom Pierotti of Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunset Drive agreed, explaining out of a roster of 1,350 members, only three individuals — a couple and a single person — sought him out to discuss the ruling.

"We focus on other issues that I think are a lot more important," Pierotti said.

"I tend to see this as a distraction from more important things the church needs to be doing."