Popular Galt Pastor Mary Sanders leaves after church votes to secede from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Having women pastors but objecting to homosexuals doesn't make a lot of sense -- which is the case here -- but a growing number of Lutherans are leaving the ELCA over this issue.

A second Lutheran church in the Lodi-Galt area has voted to leave its parent organization over the liberalization of gay rights.

The congregation at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church voted 49-12 on April 18 to part ways with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The vote resulted in Pastor Mary Sanders leaving the Galt church because of her desire to remain with the ELCA. The issue came to a head when the ELCA national convention voted on Aug. 21 to allow gays in committed relationships to be pastors and deacons. However, no church would be forced to accept a gay religious leader. Convention delegates, in their vote last year, didn't vote to allow gay marriage.

Shepherd of the Valley became the second local Lutheran church to opt out of the ELCA. Pending a final vote on June 13, Emanuel Lutheran Church in Lodi, known as a theologically conservative church, stands to leave the organization as well. Emanuel's congregation voted 162-32 on Feb. 21 to leave the ELCA, though organizational bylaws require a final vote in June, said Alice Reimche, president of Emanuel's church council.

Popular Galt Pastor Mary Sanders leaves after church votes to secede from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America