Also, Presbytery leaders announced a process to allow four of its 148 congregations to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) with most of their property.

The Rev. Janet Edwards, a nationally prominent advocate for same-sex couples in a presbytery that consistently opposes gay ordination and gay marriage, tried and failed to obtain Pittsburgh Presbytery’s endorsement for her to seek one of the two highest offices in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

After a passionate but respectful debate, commissioners at Thursday’s meeting in Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church voted 144-85 not to endorse her as moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly for 2012-13. The endorsement isn’t necessary for her to seek the office. After the vote she said she would continue to “pray and discern” whether she should join the four declared candidates. The election will be held when the national body meets in Pittsburgh June 30 to July 7.

Rev. Edwards is co-moderator of More Light Presbyterians, which advocates for gays and lesbians within the church. In 2008, Pittsburgh Presbytery tried her for conducting the 2005 marriage of a lesbian couple. Although Rev. Edwards always said it was a marriage, the court acquitted her on the grounds that she couldn’t have done what she said she did because the church says marriage can only occur between a man and a woman.

In a speech to the presbytery, Rev. Edwards described herself as a bridge builder who had remained loyal to the presbytery despite their differences, and could bring people together.

“My view has lost, and I stay. I stay because I believe that the hand cannot say to the foot, ‘I have no need of you,’ ” she said, quoting the Bible. “I stay because the unity of the church doesn’t rest on the prevailing of any one point of view. Our unity rests upon one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

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