Presbyterians: Two More Years of "Talking" about Same Sex Marriage

The StarTribune reports:

Hours after giving their blessing to ordaining noncelibate gays and lesbians, leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) declined late Thursday to change the church’s definition of marriage, in effect refusing to allow same-sex marriages within their denomination.

If the proposal had been approved, the church’s definition of marriage would have changed from a commitment between “a woman and a man” to “two people” and allowed church weddings in states that have legalized gay marriage.

The late-night decision to table the proposal and subject it to two more years of study caught many delegates at the denomination’s gathering at the Minneapolis Convention Center by surprise, and there was a stunned silence as delegates absorbed the action.

What I don’t understand is how that body can approve gays and lesbians to serve as ordained clergy, but not allow them to get married.  Yes, I understand that they will require celibacy — that’s their answer.  But it’s not an answer that makes much sense.

UPDATE: This makes even less sense.  Also from the article:

Hours before the surprise shelving of the marriage measure, the assembly approved changing the denomination’s ordination policy to make noncelibate gays and lesbians eligible to become clergy. The vote was 373 to 323.

Get that?  I don’t.