TOLEDO, Ohio--The Rev. Susan Andrews, head of the Presbyterian Church (USA), told the Toledo Blade that she believes the denomination eventually will allow the ordination of homosexual clergy.

Currently the church's constitution forbids the ordination of actively gay and lesbian ministers as well as barring same-sex marriages. But Andrews, who was elected moderator of the General Assembly in May, 2003, said her hope was to change that.

"I was elected last year as moderator with the position that I hope in my lifetime we will indeed open all the offices of the church to partnered gays and lesbians," said Andrews, 55. "But I also said I don't want us to get to a point where we open those offices until we have had more time so we can keep the church together."

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has 2.5 million members. But rather than a national policy, Andrews said churches should be free to decide on the gay issue individually.

She said she told a Presbyterian group in south Georgia that was strongly opposed to ordaining homosexuals: "You will never be forced to do it if you do not believe it is biblically correct."

But in New York City, where there are large gay and lesbian populations, the local presbyteries "would feel free to discern the gifts of the spirit and call somebody into ministry from that group."

Andrews likened the issue to others the church has faced over its long history. "I think if we've changed our mind on divorce, we've changed our mind on slavery, we've changed our mind on women, I think there's room through the movement of the Spirit to change our minds on this issue," she said.