One-fifth of United Methodist Church congregations in the United States have received approval toMore than 6,000 congregations have separated from the governing conference, dropping substantial amounts of money to buy out of the UMC.
"I don’t think any of us want to see any of our churches leave," said president of the UMC's Council of Bishops, Thomas Bickerton. A gay Pride rainbow flag flies with the U.S. flag in front of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Prairie Village, Kansas, on Friday, April 19, 2019. He continued,"We’re called to be the body of Christ, we’re called to be unified. There’s never been a time when the church has not been without conflict, but there’s been a way we’ve worked through that."
Approximately 6,182 congregations have cut their ties with the UMC as of July 2023, according to the United Methodist News Service.