Mass Exodus of United Methodists Ensues Over LGBTQ Movement https://catholicvote.org/mass-exodus-of-united-methodists-lgbtq-movement/ CV NEWS FEED // A significant exodus from the United Methodist Church (UMC) has ensued after a pro-LGBTQ faction within the denomination pushed the cause enough to alienate many churchgoers. Christianity Today reported Monday that 7,659 churches, about “1 out of 4 of the denomination’s 30,000 congregations,” have “decided to split” over the last four years. The departing congregations are citing “issues of sexuality and authority.” Christianity Today is an Evangelical magazine founded by Billy Graham in 1956. “This month marked the final push to exit before the December 31 deadline,” the magazine continued. “In that time, another 74 churches in Florida voted to leave, plus 51 more in Illinois, 152 in Mississippi, 8 in New Mexico, and 36 across three regions in Texas.” Per the denomination’s news outlet, of the churches that have chosen to leave the UMC since the end of 2019, 5,643 of them – 74% – left in 2023 alone.