The United Methodist Church faced a setback as the Alabama Supreme Court ruled against several local churches attempting to sever ties with the denomination. The decision was made in Bay County, Florida and comes as a blow to those seeking to break away from the larger religious organization.
The United Methodist Conference is being sued by 44 congregation churches located in south Alabama and the Panhandle for impeding their disaffiliation.
In a recent ruling, the court has confirmed that the ongoing conflicts within the United Methodist Church are considered an internal matter, and therefore, fall outside the jurisdiction of the courts. These conflicts initially arose in 2022, following the Church’s decision to permit same-sex marriages and the ordination of LGBTQ ministers.
There are several churches in our locality that attempted to depart from their respective affiliations. These include the Gulf View United Methodist Church in Panama City Beach, the First Church of Mexico Beach, Cypress United Methodist Church located in Jackson County, Blountstown United Methodist Church, Shalimar United Methodist, and the First Church of Fort Walton Beach.
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