# How homosexuality has torn apart the United Methodist Church

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/holy-smoke-637985/how-homosexuality-has-torn-apart-the-united-methodist-church
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/holy-smoke-637985/how-homosexuality-has-torn-apart-the-united-methodist-church.md
Podcast: [Holy Smoke](https://stenobird.com/podcast/holy-smoke-637985)
Published: 2026-04-12T01:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/holy-smoke/episodes/how-homosexuality-has-torn-apart-the-united-methodist-church
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6835905c2780b226c72e9d0d/e/69d91dafcdaa3e377c85f1bb/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=YQYWA5etcx527F1mu7CLGn1FylXoWTSMd5W3MtwX3T0
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Duration seconds: 1142

## Resource

The United Methodist Church has experienced a sharp decline over the past century, from an estimated 11 million members in the 1950s to around 4 million now. However, over 1 million of those are estimated to have left since 2022 alone, due to splits over the teaching of homosexuality. Can the Church survive? And what does this tell us about Christianity in America in general – are we entering a 'post-denominational era'? Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy – and a committed Methodist, joins Damian Thompson to discuss. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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