9,398 and Growing
GayChurch.org lists 9,398 LGBTQ-affirming congregations worldwide. The United Church of Christ has 1,743 Open and Affirming churches with over 350,000 members, growing by one to two new congregations per week. The Reconciling Ministries Network counts 1,439 United Methodist congregations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church has 1,138 Reconciling in Christ congregations. More Light Presbyterians has 230-330 churches.
9,398 LGBTQ-affirming congregations worldwide. Growing by 1-2 new churches per week.
These numbers are not static. They are accelerating.
2024: The United Methodist Church Changed Everything
In 2024, the United Methodist Church’s General Conference removed all constraints on LGBTQ ministry and clergy. Every restriction. After 48 years of internal conflict, the denomination voted to allow LGBTQ ordination, same-sex marriages, and full participation in church life.
The vote triggered the largest denominational schism since the Civil War. Conservative congregations left. Progressive congregations stayed and grew. The 1,439 Reconciling UMC churches that remain represent a denomination that chose inclusion over institutional comfort.
Houston, Austin, Orlando, Miami
In Houston, Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church runs one of the largest gay-supportive ministries in the country. Bering Church has been open to all since 1848. Kindred, in the Montrose neighborhood, partners with Montrose Grace Space to serve homeless LGBTQ youth.
In Austin, University Christian Church has been officially Open and Affirming since 2022. Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian has LGBTQ pastoral staff and pronoun pins. Vox Veniae has been affirming for over a decade. First Methodist Downtown flies the flag.
In Orlando, Joy Metropolitan Community Church has all LGBTQ pastors and describes itself as “as inclusive as possible.” St. Richard’s Episcopal has been welcoming LGBTQ members since the 1990s. In Miami, Coral Gables Congregational UCC is a top-rated affirming congregation.
These are not coastal enclaves. These are churches in Texas, Florida, and states that are simultaneously passing anti-LGBTQ legislation. The congregations are voting with their theology while the legislatures vote with their politics.
How to Find One
ChurchClarity.org rates churches on whether they clearly state their LGBTQ policies. GayChurch.org lets you search by state. Each denomination uses a different term for affirming status.
- Presbyterian: “More Light”
- ELCA Lutheran: “Reconciling in Christ”
- United Church of Christ: “Open and Affirming”
- United Methodist: “Reconciling”
- American Baptist: “Welcoming and Affirming”
The Metropolitan Community Church was founded in 1968 specifically on LGBTQ affirmation. It was the first denomination built around inclusion rather than arriving at it.
Read more on the LGBTQ Rights hub and the community response in Texas.