Church in Gordonville votes to leave United Methodist denomination

Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist denomination March 19 adding to the droves of churches leaving the second largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.

The congregation of the rural church voted 110 to 28 in favor of disaffiliation, easily clearing the required two-thirds threshold. Zion has 234 members.

The church body's vote must be ratified at the Missouri conference in June for the split to be official.

The Rev. Scott Griffin said in a brief statement that the decision was reached "prayerfully and humbly" but that the church would not be commenting further on the ongoing process at this time.

The schism in the denomination is a result of theological differences in the UMC, often surrounding the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ individuals with the church.

The denomination elected its first openly gay bishop in November and its five jurisdictions approved measures that would "protect, affirm and empower" LGBTQ+ individuals. The UMC still has a ban on same-sex marriage and the ordination of any "self-avowed, practicing homosexual."

Leadership in some departing churches has said it's more about liberal versus orthodox differences in various aspects of the Christian faith rather than LGBTQ+ intersectionality.

The process for disaffiliation is outlined in the United Methodist Book of Discipline. Churches splitting from the UMC must pay two years of the congregation's apportionment -- funds paid for the workings of the denomination -- and the remaining liability on the clergy's pension plan.