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The Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church finalized Saturday the departure of 264 churches.{p}{/p}

The United Methodist Church (UMC) saw the departure of more than 200 member churches.

More than 100 of those churches are based in Tennessee.

That's according to Knoxville's WJHL.

The Holston Conference now has 578 churches after starting Saturday with 842.

WJHL reports the number represents 31% of churches in the conference, which stretches from the Chattanooga metro area to the Blacksburg, Virginia area in the northeast.

According to the UMC's website, the Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church is comprised of 842 congregations, organized in nine districts, and located in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and North Georgia.

On Saturday the UMC called a special session of the Holston Conference, which acts as a kind of umbrella organization for the UMC, where delegates considered all the disaffiliation requests in a single vote, which passed.

The departures are the culmination of a years-long rift between more traditional congregations and those that are more moderate or progressive, particularly around issues of sexuality.

We have reached out to local UMC pastors in our area for their comments.

This story will be updated as we hear back from local faith leaders and learn more information.

Read more:
Rifts between conservatives, progressives intensify at United Methodist Church - WTVC