It’s a sad irony, but nonetheless telling of the state of the modern church, that the “United” Methodist Church is facing a schism. AP News reports that over 6,000 United Methodist congregations are splitting over their beliefs about LGBTQ issues.
Since 2019, the church has granted local congregations the freedom to leave over disagreements on LGBT involvement in the church. While church law forbids marriage and ordination of such people, many have gone against these rulings.
This prompted conservatives to look for alternatives and, as a result, a separate ruling entity called the Global Methodist Church came into existence last year.
While UMC has expressed disappointment over the mass exodus, the church accepts the decisions of those who are choosing to leave. While many have joined GMC since their departure, some are looking into other denominations as well.