THE CHRISTIAN POST REPORTS:
The United Methodist Church North Georgia Conference announced Thursday that 70 congregations in Georgia have decided to leave the UMC due in part to the denomination’s ongoing debate over homosexuality. The disaffiliation, which will become effective June 30, represents nine percent of their churches and three percent of their members. The UMC Book of Discipline presently labels homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching” and prohibits the blessing of same-sex unions or the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals, but many in the UMC oppose the Book of Discipline stance and some prominent leaders have refused to enforce the rules. In January 2020, a theologically diverse group of UMC leaders agreed to advance a proposal at the next General Conference that would create a new Methodist denomination for those who oppose changing the Book of Discipline. Read more.