U.S. Presbyterian Church Votes to Approve Same-Sex Marriage Amendment

The United States Presbyterian Church voted this week to approve an amendment that would change the definition of marriage to include same-sex marriage in their church's constitution.

The amendment was approved upon by the majority of the church's regional bodies, and changes the constitution to recognize marriage as being between "two people, traditionally a man and a woman" instead of just "a man and a woman."

"Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives," reads the new text of the new church constitution.

The final vote of the regional bodies was close, with 87 approving of the change and 41 opposing it. Some church leaders voiced their opposition to the change and said they would not host same-sex weddings at their place of worship despite the change in the church constitution.

"Marriage is between a man and a woman," the Rev. Rolnand Perez, the pastor of the First Hispanic of Newark Presbyterian Church, told NJ. com.

Others have commended the change, with the Rev. Brian D. Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, a gay advocacy group, telling the New York Times that although there is still disagreement in the church, he thinks the change is a good one.

"Finally, the church in its constitutional documents fully recognizes that the love of gays and lesbian couples is worth celebrating in the faith community," Ellison said. "There is still disagreement, and I don't mean to minimize that, but I think we are learning that we can disagree and still be church together."