The Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest body of Presbyterians in the country, approved a change in the wording of its constitution to allow gay and lesbian weddings within the church, a move that threatens to continue to split the mainline Protestant denomination.

The 171 regional presbyteries (local leadership bodies within the PCUSA) have been voting on whether to change the wording to call marriage a contract "between a woman and a man" to being "between two people, traditionally a man and a woman." On Tuesday, the denomination reached its needed majority of "yes" votes from at least 86 presbyteries to take effect. The change will be included in the church's "Book of Order," part of its constitution, taking effect on June 21.

The Presbyterian Church has approved a change in the wording of its constitution to allow gay and lesbian weddings within the church.

The church, which has more than 1.7 million members, voted last June to allow clergy to perform same-sex weddings. That vote gave clergy the choice of whether to preside over same-sex marriages in states where they are legal, an action which is now allowed in 36 state and the District of Columbia. Clergy will not be compelled to perform same-sex marriage.

Tuesday's vote carries significance, writes Leslie Scanlon for The Presbyterian Outlook, because it will be much more difficult to reverse.