Kansas United Methodist Church congregations split with denomination over LGBTQ issues

The departure of the churches in Kansas and Nebraska comes as UMC congregations around the country are debating the UMC position “that all people are of sacred worth and are equally valuable in the sight of God.”
In a 655-to-29 vote Wednesday night, the Great Plains conference of the United Methodist Church ratified legislation to allow a total of 156 member churches in Kansas and Nebraska to split from the main church.

The rift is largely due to disagreements about LGBTQ issues, such as whether to allow gay clergy and whether ministers should officiate at same-sex weddings — issues that remain up for debate among church members. At the heart of the matter are fundamental differences about the future of the church.

“We still have about 750 churches,” said Bishop David Wilson, who leads the Great Plains UMC. “And so these are folk who are more like-minded in terms of how we do ministry. And of course, looking even around issues of human sexuality.”