North Carolina megachurch withdraws from Boy Scouts over transgender policy

A megachurch in Cumberland County, North Carolina has decided to cut off its ties with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) after the organization announced last month that it would start allowing transgender youths to become members.

The Manna Church, which charters the Boy Scout Troop 957, is planning to withdraw from the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts this coming summer, according to WNCN.

Some Cumberland County residents were surprised by the news that the church will no longer participate in Boy Scout activities.

"I think they're missing out on an opportunity to minister....they don't have fathers, don't have mentors to look up to," said Melissa Groenhoff.

Derrick Montgomery, a pastor of Blessed Family of God, said that the church's decision was "unfortunate."

"It's sad and disappointing — as a community based program we have to service all," the pastor remarked.

When the BSA announced the change last month, the organization stressed that the new policy provides exemptions for religious organizations that have objections to transgenderism.

"Our religious chartered organizations continue to have the right to make decisions based on religious beliefs and we will work with families to find local scouting units that are the best fit for their children," said Effie Delimarkos, director of communications for the BSA.

Despite the exemption, some are still eager to find alternative scouting organizations.

Trail Life USA, which bills itself has a Christian alternative, has seen a surge in membership inquiries since the new policy was announced. Its website has an increase in traffic, and there have been thousands of new likes on its Facebook page, suggesting that its numbers are about to swell.

Trail Life CEO Mark Hancock said that some of its part-time employees have been turned to full time and some full-time employees have been asked to work overtime to handle inquiries from troops across the country.

Hancock said that his organization, which currently has about 26,000 members, does not usually focus on the BSA, but he felt that it needed to be vocal about the decision, which he said was "harmful to boys."

"We don't want boys or girls subjected to compromising situations on outings in an environment where reasonable precautions are no longer enforceable," Hancock said in a statement.