United Methodist Churches Divided Over LGBTQ Issues Lead to Mass Exodus
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.