Why are Churches Leaving the United Methodist Church (UMC)?

A more theologically conservative branch of the Methodist Church known as the Global Methodist Church launched on May 1, 2022, following a split from the United Methodist Church denomination over LGBTQ-related issues. This new denomination is made up of former United Methodists from North America, Africa, Europe and elsewhere who uphold the authority of Scripture. For years, the UMC had been divided over the ordination of LGBTQ clergy and the performance of same-sex marriages. In recent years, the growing division reached a breaking point, leading the denomination to split, with progressive and conservative Methodists, announcing new denominations. The UMC postponed its General Conference for a third time earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The denomination is supposed to talk about the denominational schism during the conference. In response to the continual delays, the Global Methodist Church, or GMC, decided to launch its denomination ahead of the rescheduled conference, which will now take place in 2024. After repeated postponements, the GMC grew tired of waiting and officially launched in the Spring of this year.