Churches across Theological Spectrum Exiting

With a potential United Methodist split still up in the air, an increasing number of U.S. churches already are heading for the exits.

At least five congregations of varying views on LGBTQ inclusion are now in talks to cut ties with The United Methodist Church — often at great expense.

In Maine, three congregations have overwhelmingly voted to leave the denomination they see as discriminatory toward LGBTQ people. The congregations — HopeGateWay, Tuttle Road and Chebeague Island — are now hammering out the disaffiliation details with the New England Conference.

“Some of us felt we could not be part of an organization that was so hurtful to LGBTQ folks,” said Gloria Brown, a member of the Chebeague Island congregation for more than 30 years.

In Houston, the nearly 300-member Bering Memorial Church voted April 18 by 95% to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church in solidarity with its LGBTQ members. The church, which has already reached a financial agreement with the Texas Conference, plans to join the United Church of Christ on June 2.

“Bering is a deeply Methodist church that has been deeply engaged in its entire history with Methodist service and witness,” said the Rev. Diane McGehee, senior pastor of the 173-year-old congregation. “This is a huge loss, but it’s an opportunity for Bering to finally live out its mission.”

Meanwhile, on the more traditionalist side of the spectrum, Christ Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois — the largest congregation in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference — also has voted to leave. Church and conference leaders have a mediation session scheduled for April 22 to try to reach a settlement for departure.

The Rev. Shane Bishop, the church’s senior pastor, has been a leader with the advocacy group Wesleyan Covenant Association, which has worked to bolster church bans on same-sex weddings and noncelibate gay clergy. The pastor said he could not comment at this time because the church is in negotiations.

The congregation already has taken the step of reincorporating as an independent church Read More

Image Credit: The Rev. Sara Ewing-Merrill.