Seventy-four congregations in Florida have left the United Methodist Church over the denomination’s longstanding debate over its stance on homosexuality.
In a virtual special session Saturday morning, the UMC Florida Conference approved the disaffiliation votes of 74 churches in a final vote of 557 in favor and 36 against.
During the session, some delegates spoke against approving the disaffiliation of specific congregations, arguing, among other things, that the process was not correctly implemented.
According to the proceedings, 43 churches granted disaffiliation on Saturday were part of a lawsuit filed in 2022 against the Florida Conference, claiming that the disaffiliation process was unfair to congregations seeking dismissal.