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| Olde Tyme Religion |
| Methodist Church approves split of 261 Georgia congregations after LGBTQ+ divide |
| 2023-11-21 |
| [WABE] The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church voted to allow 261 congregations to break from the denomination amid a schism over theological differences and the role of LGBTQ+ people in the church. The conference ratified the disaffiliation requests from the congregations during a special session Saturday, allowing the churches to leave the denomination, news outlets report. The exit marked a "solemn day," the North Georgia Conference of the UMC said in a news release. The United Methodist Church has long debated its bans on same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly LGBTQ+ clergy. The denomination forbids the marriage or ordination of "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals," but some U.S. churches and clergy have defied the bans. Many conservatives have chosen to leave amid a growing defiance of those bans. So far 7,286 congregations, many in the South and Midwest, have received approval to disaffiliate from the denomination since 2019, according to an unofficial tally by United Methodist News Service. Most of the disaffiliations, more than 5,000, occurred this year. Conservatives launched a new Global Methodist Church. Related: United Methodist Church: 2022-07-28 Over 100 Florida Churches File Suit to Leave United Methodist Church United Methodist Church: 2022-05-23 Police: Atlanta Pastor Killed by Man She Was Helping United Methodist Church: 2021-08-25 Proud Boys Leader Sentenced to Five Months in Prison for Minor Crimes |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #6 This move should have been made 25 years ago--there were signs aplenty that scriptural truth was no longer in fashion with the leadership. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2023-11-21 13:11 |
| #5 Praise the Lord for 261 congregations that have had enough. The UMC has long since abandoned the Bible and Chrisitanity in return for the mess of pottage that is fashionable woke-ism. They deserve what they are getting. |
| Posted by: Tom 2023-11-21 11:47 |
| #4 love one another as i have loved you how many religions claiming to be christian really are? |
| Posted by: irish rage boy 2023-11-21 09:11 |
| #3 |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-11-21 07:52 |
| #2 "God loves you, but we don't." |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-11-21 07:45 |
| #1 it's just that their appeal is now more selective. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2023-11-21 07:40 |