North Carolina church ousts Boy Scouts over transgender policy

A church in Mooresville, North Carolina has said that it will stop hosting Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops due to the decision by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to allow transgender boys into their ranks.

In January, the BSA announced that the eligibility of the children who want to participate in its programs would no longer be based on their birth certificates but on the gender identity indicated on their application.

On Wednesday, Pastor Andrew Shoger of Coddle Creek Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church issued a statement explaining the decision to stop hosting Troop 169 and Cub Scout Pack 169, which are part of the Piedmont Council of Boy Scouts in Gastonia.

"For more than 10 years, Coddle Creek Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church has hosted and chartered Boy Scout and Cub Scout groups. However, due to decisions by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) regarding matters of homosexuality and gender identity, the ... church has determined that our church can no longer continue as partners ... of BSA," the pastor said in a statement, according to The Charlotte Observer.

"Quite simply, we cannot partner with an organization that embraces what God's Word clearly labels as sin," he continued.

Shoger clarified that Coddle Creek will still fulfill its current charter agreement to allow the troops some time to find a new home, but the church did not say how long the agreement would be extended.

Cubmaster Doug Balog, who joined the troop five years ago, said he is "frustrated" by the church's decision to pull the charter of the Cub Scout Pack 169 and Boy Scout Troop 169, which have been with the church for about a decade.

"We've never had any issues previously, and the pastor's two sons are in the pack. He's even said how happy and pleased they are to come, looking forward to the meeting each week," said Balog.

He noted that the troop and the pack were informed about the decision on April 4. He said that he has been in talks with local fire departments to find a regular spot to go, and he maintained that he would not be looking for another church.

Another church in North Carolina had also decided to cut ties with the BSA due to its policy allowing transgender boys to become members.

It was reported in February that the Manna Church in Cumberland County, which charters the Boy Scout Troop 957, made plans to withdraw from the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts this coming summer.