Once the second largest protestant denomination in America, the United Methodist Church lost about a quarter of its members over issues of sexuality. Now, the church is overturning its prohibition on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage.
The splintering of the United Methodist Church wbur.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wbur.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Twenty-three congregations in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church received permission to leave the organization Thursday, when delegates to the church's annual business session voted to allow the departures, officials said.