70 Ga. Methodist churches plan to break away over LGBTQ issues

These 70 churches in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church will soon leave the conference, spurred by opposition in some churches to full inclusion of the LGBTQ community.

A vote taken at Thursday’s conference meeting was in favor of allowing them to leave.

According to the Conference Communications Office, the churches requesting disaffiliation make up approximately 9% of the 768 churches in the North Georgia Conference and represent about 3% of the membership of the conference.

Sybil Davidson, conference communications director, issued a statement earlier reading in part: “Our denomination has a clear process for disaffiliation and we are walking alongside the churches that want to take this path. While we do not wish to see any church disaffiliate, we are committed to a clear and healthy process. Our hearts are with those who desire for their congregation to remain a part of the denomination, and also with those who vote to leave.”

North East District

Includes Banks, Dawson, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Forsyth, Franklin, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties Center UMC, Hoschton Chattahoochee UMC Coosa UMC, Union County Dry Pond UMC

Gaines Chapel UMC

North West District

Includes Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Polk, Murray, Pickens, Walker and Whitfield counties Adairsville UMC Beech Creek UMC

Chapel Hill UMC Dawnville UMC Emerson UMC Fairview, Dalton UMC Faith UMC, Cartersville Finley Chapel UMC Fishers Chapel UMC Lawrence Chapel UMC Mccaysville UMC Metropolitan UMC

Nellie Peters UMC

New Hope UMC, Summerville Oak Hill UMC, Lyerly

Pine Chapel UMC

Sam Jones Memorial UMC Smith Chapel UMC, Tunnel Hill South Broad UMC, Rome The Way UMC

Tunnel Hill UMC

Central North District

Includes Fulton and Clayton counties

Ebenezer UMC, Roswell New Life UMC Sardis UMC

Central South District

Includes Dekalb, Henry, Newton and Rockdale counties Gaithers UMC Mansfield UMC

New Hope UMC, Locust Grove Newborn UMC Prospect UMC, Covington Sewell UMC Starrsville UMC

Central West District

Includes Carroll, Cobb, Douglas, Haralson and Paulding counties Bowdon First UMC Garrett’s Chapel UMC Union UMC, Waco

Central East District

Includes Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Gwinnett and Walton counties

Bold Springs

Union Chapel

South East District

Includes Baldwin, Columbia, Elbert, Greene, Hancock, Lincoln, Mcduffie, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Richmond, Taliaferro,

Warren and Wilkes counties Concord UMC, Eatonton Union Chapel UMC

Mt. Zion UMC, Washington Bethel UMC, Wilkes County Smyrna UMC, Washington Quest UMC Norwood UMC

St. Paul UMC, Lincoln County Ruckersville UMC Bethlehem UMC, Elberton Middleton UMC Woodlawn UMC

South West District

Includes Butts, Coweta, Fayette, Harris, Heard, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Pike, Spalding, Troup and Upson counties

Arbor Chapel UMC

Ayres Memorial UMC Calvary UMC, Shady Dale Carmel UMC

Franklin UMC

Godfrey UMC Greenville UMC Harmony UMC, Franklin Hillsboro UMC Hopewell UMC, Whitesville Manchester UMC

Mt. Gilead UMC, Sharpsburg New Hope UMC, Monticello Pleasant Grove UMC, Lagrange Powell Chapel UMC Raleigh UMC

Trinity UMC, Durand