Mass exodus of congregations leaves United Methodist Church in crisis

Over 6,000 United Methodist congregations, or one-fifth of the total in the U.S., have left the denomination due to disputes over LGBTQ inclusion and theology.
The departures began in 2019 and have reached record levels this year, with 4,172 congregations leaving so far in 2022.
Many departing congregations are joining the conservative Global Methodist Church, while others are going independent or joining new denominations.
The split has triggered legal battles over compensation for departing congregations and budget cuts expected to drastically impact the United Methodist Church.
The mass disaffiliations pose an existential crisis for the United Methodist Church in the U.S. and its stance on LGBTQ issues.