GREENSBORO, N.C. — Seventy-Two Triad congregations recently made the decision to leave their church.
WFMY News 2’s Itinease McMiller spoke with a church in Greensboro about the decision to disaffiliate.
Matt Morris is the senior pastor at Tabernacle United Methodist Church.
He said he's lost devoted church leaders, some who have been members for 40 years.
It's all over a difference in views regarding LGBTQ matters and same-sex marriage.
Pastor Morris' congregation of more than 200 has fewer families in the pews after he and a team of church leaders decided to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church.
“There's been a lot of tears because I love the people,” Morris said.
He said their decision to disassociate was focused solely on the issue of human sexuality.
“Everyone is created in the image of God and yet we believe that throughout scripture that sex is between one man and one woman a monogamous relationship,” Morris said. “It doesn't determine their value that's just what the denomination says and we stand there.”
Morris's church and dozens of other United Methodist churches in the Triad believe the UMC leadership is not holding true to the book of discipline regarding sexuality.
It states "The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching."
The Western Conference of the United Methodist Church held a special meeting last week to discuss the matter.
"We are not enemies,” said Ken Carter the resident bishop of the WNC conference.
The conference voted to allow 192 churches wanting to leave to disaffiliate.
“By actions of the annual conference you will be free to be an independent church or a global Methodist church or a southern Methodist church or another denomination,” Carter said.
Pastor Morris said the split is bittersweet.
“I think our leadership loves Jesus and are good people seeking him as they best understand it,” Morris said.
Pastor Morris said in June his church will join the Global Methodist Church denomination.
He said the new denomination was created in May and takes a more traditional and less progressive approach to Methodism.