Deep disagreements about whether to allow gay marriage and the ordination of lesbian and gay clergy has prompted the United Methodist Church to officially announce its plan to split in two and create a new denomination for those who hold the “traditional” views on the issues. The schism in the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination, which has over 12 million members in the U.S., follows similar splintering in other major denominations over the issue of sexuality in recent years.
After years of debate over same-sex marriage, leaders from the United Methodist Church announced Friday that the church plans to officially separate, creating a new “Traditionalist Methodist” denomination for those who adhere to the “traditional” view of sexuality and marriage. The decision, the leaders said, was the result of “fundamental differences” in their view on gay marriage and LGBT ordination.
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