Well Done The 141.

141 Pennsylvania churches leave UMC over homosexuality debate. By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor.

                    The Susquehanna Conference of The United Methodist Church, based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. | Facebook/Susquehanna Conference, The United Methodist Church

One hundred forty-one congregations in Pennsylvania have officially left the United Methodist Church, largely because of the ongoing debate over sexual ethics in the mainline Protestant denomination.

At a special session of the UMC, Susquehanna Annual Conference held Wednesday at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport, the disaffiliations of 141 churches were approved. This leaves 665 congregations in the regional body.

The special session divided the votes by district, beginning with churches based in the Altoona District and ending with churches based in the York District. Between district votes, there were prayers and moments of silence observed.

During the meeting, Stephanie Evans, a lay member of Grace United Methodist Church of Harrisburg, asked what would become of those belonging to churches that disaffiliated who wanted to remain in the UMC.

The Rev. Kathleen Kind, director of Connectional Ministries for the Conference, responded that the goal was to, “in any ways possible,” provide support, but warned that “it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ and we want to make sure that the specific needs of individuals and families and groups are cared for as we move forward together.”

                 A special session of The Susquehanna Conference of The United Methodist Church votes to allow 141 congregations to disaffiliate from the regional body, May 17, 2023, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. | Screengrab: Facebook/Susquehanna Conference, The United Methodist Church

After the votes were taken, Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball addressed the gathering, calling this “a time of brokenness,” noting that “we are indeed different when we walk out these doors tonight than when we came in.”

“Whether or not you are part of a congregation that made a decision to disaffiliate or not, we are all part of God’s family,” said Ball. “And we need, in the midst of this time, to dedicate ourselves to being the repairers of the way.' CP.