Hundreds local groups in Texas, Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio now gone
By 
By Ireland Walker
Daily Caller News Foundation
The United Methodist Church, the second-largest Protestant denomination in the nation, has granted permission to more than 6,000 congregations to split from the denomination over the past few years due to long-standing theological and LGBT-related issues, according to the Associated Press.
About 6,182 congregations, one-fifth of the U.S. total, have received approval to disassociate from the United Methodist Church since 2019, when the church endorsed an exit strategy for churches looking to leave the denomination because of disagreements over the church’s tolerance and/or endorsement of certain LGBT positions, according to the AP. Of the 6,182, some 4,172 have split from the denomination this year alone, according to the AP.