Texas megachurch votes to leave United Methodist Church as mainline denomination fractures over LGBT issues

A megachurch successful Texas voted overwhelmingly to leave nan United Methodist Church (UMC) past week arsenic nan second-largest Protestant denomination successful nan U.S. fractures complete sexuality, religion authorities and nan authority of nan Bible.

St. Andrew Methodist Church successful Plano, a megachurch that boasts 1 of nan largest congregations successful nan Plano-based UMC North Texas Annual Conference, voted 859-12 successful favour of disaffiliating from nan denomination during a congregational ballot connected Feb. 21, according to a statement.

Church activity "engaged successful meaningful and productive conversations" pinch nan UMC's location authorities "to finalize position of our disaffiliation," religion leaders said successful a connection to The Christian Post.

"St. Andrew's extremity has ever been to disaffiliate while still maintaining relationships with nan UMC and blessing each different successful ngo for nan future," nan connection continued.

LAWYER REPRESENTING METHODIST CHURCHES TRYING TO LEAVE SAYS CONTENTIOUS SPLIT IS ABOUT ‘POWER’ AND ‘MONEY’

St. Andrew Methodist Church successful Plano, 1 of nan largest congregations successful nan UMC North Texas Annual Conference, voted overwhelmingly successful favour of disaffiliating from nan denomination earlier this month. (Google Maps)

The religion had primitively announced successful October that it was leaving nan UMC without a congregational vote, claiming astatine nan clip that specified a measurement was unnecessary, according to UM News.

"Everyone progressive has a heavy emotion for nan denomination that birthed us; but nan fractures and flaws of nan institution are excessively heavy to ignore," Rev. Arthur Jones, elder pastor, and Kathy King, nan church’s executive committee chair, said in a connection past fall.

"…the fractures and flaws of nan institution are excessively heavy to ignore."

The church's departure comes arsenic much than 2,000 U.S. churches have disaffiliated from nan UMC since 2019, erstwhile nan General Conference voted 438-384 to uphold nan church’s prohibition connected ordaining LGBTQ clergy and officiating astatine aliases hosting same-sex marriages.

Rev. Cynthia Good, pastor astatine Calvary United Methodist Church successful Arlington, Massachusetts, speaks during Sunday services connected Jan. 5, 2020. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Several traditionalist members of nan Methodist clergy told Fox News Digital past June that blimpish churches are leaving successful consequence to wide leaders wrong nan UMC choosing to disregard nan 2019 ballot by commissioning cheery clergy and officiating same-sex weddings anyway.

UNITED METHODIST SPLIT GROWS MORE CONTENTIOUS AS GEORGIA CONFERENCE BLOCKS CONSERVATIVE CHURCHES FROM EXITING

The United Methodist Church has hemorrhaged much than 2,000 churches since 2019, erstwhile nan denomination voted to uphold a prohibition connected same-sex matrimony and cheery clergy. Conservatives declare nan ballot has been ignored by wide leaders. (AP Photo/Sid Hastings)

The General Conference that twelvemonth besides approved Paragraph 2553 of nan Book of Discipline, a religion rule that allows UMC churches to time off pinch their religion spot if they get nan support of two-thirds of their congregation and their location governing body.

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Churches wishing to time off are besides required to salary their stock of clergy pension liabilities and two years of "apportionments" for nan larger denomination.