MIDDLEBORO — Members of the South Middleboro United Methodist Church are considering breaking off, or disaffiliating, from the overall United Methodist Church, citing “dysfunction’’ within the church over the role of gay people in the church and subsequent disagreements.

No final decision has been made, said Rev. Ginny Doran, pastor of the South Middleboro United Methodist Church. The eight-month disaffiliation process includes four listening sessions among church members, one of which was held Saturday, Jan. 14 at the South Middleboro church.

Doran said that, unlike some congregations, the South Middleboro church members do not believe that the homosexual lifestyle is “biblically wrong.’’ When anyone joins the church, she said, “we’re going to love you and we’re going to care for you.’’

But the subsequent factions are causing “stress’’ within membership, church member Nancy Jarrett said.

“We’re tired of dealing with the mess and having the mess dictate how things go forth,’’ Doran said. “It’s exhausting.’’

The call for potential disaffiliation reflects the South Middleboro church members’ frustrations with the disputes within the church over the role of homosexuality within the church, Doran said. The issue has caused a schism within the church on a national level.

Paragraph 2553 of the 2019 United Methodist Church General Conference gives Methodist churches the ability to disaffiliate “over issues of human sexuality” and keep their properties, as long as they meet certain provisions.

Church law describes homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching’’ and does not allow clergy to officiate at same-sex weddings or for “practicing homosexuals’’ to serve as clergy.

This view was rejected at the 2019 New England United Methodists annual conference, where members voted against conforming to church laws “which discriminate against LGBTQIA persons.” The acronym refers to a range of sexual orientations and gender identities.

Since that vote was taken, the New England organization has been “disruptive’’ and “disrespectful,’’ according to a rough draft of the official statement of the South Middleboro church’s call to disaffiliate. “Integrity has been in question and damage to people has taken place,’’ the statement reads in part. 

South Middleboro church members said their dispute is not with the issue of human sexuality but with the “disruption’’ that has resulted from the controversy, Doran said.

In their statement, church members described the church body as “predominantly traditional in our understanding of the Bible’’ and described human sexuality as “an issue of conversation/discussion between pastor and parishioner.’’

Rev. Wanda Santos-Perez, district supervisor of the Southcoast District of the United Methodist Church, said the disaffiliation process has to relate to “deep conflicts around issues of human sexuality.’’

She encouraged congregants to “revisit’’ the statement. “It needs to be clear what you’re voting on,’’ she said, and must have “a reason of conscience.’’

The church must decide whether to disaffiliate prior to the “sundown date” of April 1. The Church will hold an in-person vote among its members, with a two-thirds majority required to disaffiliate.