Hundreds of congregations of the United Methodist Church (UMC) have voted to leave the denomination amid a schism over LGBTQ issues, with remaining congregations having six weeks to decide whether to stay or leave. This theological divide has also affected other Protestant churches in the United States, such as the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church, and the American Baptist Churches USA. The UMC's decision to allow churches to disaffiliate over homosexuality has led to the departure of over one-fifth of its congregations.
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church has accepted the decision of 261 congregations to leave the denomination due to a divide on LGBTQ issues. This follows a 2019 decision by the national United Methodist Church allowing congregations to leave by the end of 2023. Over 6,000 congregations in the US have been approved for disaffiliation since 2019. The departing churches account for a significant percentage of the North Georgia Conference's nearly 700 churches. The disaffiliation will take effect at the end of November, and the departing churches must fulfill financial obligations and are prohibited from further litigation against the conference.
Thousands of congregations in the United States are leaving the United Methodist Church due to divisions over LGBTQ rights. The church's rejection of same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy has led to an exodus of about 20% of its congregations since 2019. The church's global legislative body, the General Conference, has upheld these rules, but more liberal congregations have defied them. Many congregations are leaving to join the newly formed Global Methodist Church, which maintains the traditional rules. Disagreements over LGBTQ issues, as well as differing interpretations of the Bible and Jesus, have caused divisions within the church.
