White's Chapel Methodist Church overwhelmingly voted last November to disaffiliate itself from the UMC over theological disagreements about same-sex marriage.

The 17,500-member church now belongs to a new denomination it is calling the Methodist Collegiate Church (MCC).

So far, they are the only members of the network but according to its website, the new denomination will be a middle ground among Methodists.

"Knowing that accountability and connectionalism are critical to the Methodist expression of Christianity, White's Chapel set out to find other congregations to join together in a new centrist Methodist denomination that welcomes all people, makes space for a variety of points of view, and strives to set aside differences in order to faithfully follow where the Holy Spirit leads," it reads.

Rev. Dr. Larry Duggins, the chancellor over Methodist Collegiate Church, told CBN News in a statement that one of their central concerns was maintaining a "focus on service" while remaining "faithful to Scripture."

"In short, we wanted an environment that could support multiple points of view while staying focused on the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment," he said. "The Human Sexuality issue was an important one for many of our congregants, but being part of a denomination with its eyes on the future and its heart centered in Scripture was also very important to us."

Fifty churches from six different states have reached out to White's Chapel to be a part of the Methodist Collegiate Church, but the church must wait on approval of its disaffiliation to accept the requests.

The Texas Annual Conference will vote on pending disaffiliations during its meeting, which is scheduled June 4-6, Religion News Service reports.

Duggins explained that churches under the MCC will be financially independent and will ultimately share the cost of maintaining the denomination.

"Our infrastructure will remain small, and will be focused on maintaining our statement of common beliefs, our educational resources and our development of clergy and lay leadership," he said.

As CBN News reported, the UMC has experienced a mass exodus of affiliated churches over the denomination's LGBTQ inclusion, including the ordination of openly gay pastors.

Each of the church's five US jurisdictions met separately last November to approve measures where "LGBTQIA+" people will be protected, affirmed, and empowered."

Also, the church's second openly gay bishop was elected.

Conservatives predicted the developments would only accelerate their exit from one of the nation's largest Protestant denominations.

Before their departure, White's Chapel leadership released a document giving the reasons why the church was "exploring a realignment."

"Currently, due to the ongoing division taking place in the greater UMC, congregations across America are being asked to choose their own pathways for future affiliation based on their core values and theological beliefs,"the church's leadership wrote. "Today, we are experiencing the UMC as a broken institution. As well, the alternatives we have been given don't seem to align with our context or our theology."

Nearly 3,000 churches have disaffiliated from the UMC, according to United Methodist News Service.  Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that White's Chapel membership is 17,500.

Talia Wise serves as a multi-media producer for CBN News Newswatch, CBNNews.com and social media outlets.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Honoring Pat Robertson, Who Died at 93 This Morning: Witness to a God-Sized, World-Changing Dream

Biden's Council to Keep Churches Safe Includes Al Sharpton and 'Three Islamists': Exposing the Left-leaning, so-called 'Faith-Based Security Advisory Council'

First US Religious Charter School a Victory for Educational Freedom

Gender Clinic Quietly Closes, Erases Website in the 'Middle of the Night' after Offering Transgender Treatments to Minors

He Went Undercover to Expose 'Rubber-Stamping' of Trans Surgeries

Prayer Alert: Canada's Wildfire Smoke Envelopes Huge Swaths of North America [Watch]

Judge Jeanine Blocked by Fox News from Speaking at Church Services, says Publisher

Fox News Tells Tucker Carlson to Stop Twitter or Else!

Missionaries Report Muslims Meeting Jesus in Dreams 'In Levels We Have Never Seen in 1,400 Years!'

#31times You Saw a Trafficked Child But Didn't Know It

Following the Fall of Roe, June Is a Month to Celebrate Life: 'It's a total God thing!'

KC Chiefs' Harrison Butker's Wardrobe Makes Pro-Life Statement during Chiefs' White House Visit on Monday

Americans Believe There Are Only Two Genders By a 3-1 Margin

Nolte: Donald Trump Breaks CNN — Another CEO Is Out

Just the Beginning: WHO, EU Announce Partnership Creating 'Global System' of Digital Vaccine Passports

First Episode of 'Tucker on Twitter' Gets Huge Viewership. Really Huge

79th Anniversary of D-Day: It May Not Be an Official Holiday, but It Deserves Reverence Akin to That of Memorial Day

MLB, US Navy Remove 'Pride Month' Logos from Social Media One Day after June 1

'Incredibly Unjust': Elon Musk Supports Girl Who Spoke Out against Trans-Identifying Student

High School Senior Banned from Walking at Graduation, Loses Job after Saying 'Guys Are Guys and Girls Are Girls' during School Address