The congregants of Central Lutheran Church in Elk River voted Sunday, Nov. 8 to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

The vote, 574-171, indicated 77 percent of those voting felt it was time to sever ties with the ELCA after the denomination voted in August to allow gay clergy to preside in services as long as the  same-sex relationship was monogamous. See more in Bob Grawey's Star News story.