United Methodist churches had a five-year window to leave the denomination over disputes involving its bans on same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ persons. That window closes Dec. 31, but results are in. One quarter of all United Methodist congregations in the U.S. have received permission to leave. That s more than 5,000 this year and more than 7,000 since 2019. The vast major are conservative-leaning churches responding to what they see as the United Methodists’ failure to enforce longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordaining of openly LGBTQ persons. Many are joining the new, more conservative Global Methodist Church.
United Methodist churches had a five-year window to leave the denomination over disputes involving its bans on same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ persons. That window closes Dec. 31, but results are in. One quarter of all United Methodist congregations in the U.S. have received permission to leave. That s more than 5,000 this year and more than 7,000 since 2019. The vast major are conservative-leaning churches responding to what they see as the United Methodists’ failure to enforce longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordaining of openly LGBTQ persons. Many are joining the new, more conservative Global Methodist Church.
United Methodist churches had a five-year window to leave the denomination over disputes involving its bans on same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ persons. That window closes Dec. 31, but results are in. One quarter of all United Methodist congregations in the U.S. have received permission to leave. That s more than 5,000 this year and more than 7,000 since 2019. The vast major are conservative-leaning churches responding to what they see as the United Methodists’ failure to enforce longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordaining of openly LGBTQ persons. Many are joining the new, more conservative Global Methodist Church.