A methodist church in Indiana will shut down by the end of the year due to financial problems, reportedly caused by the firing of a gay choir director.
According to a report, David Mantor, pastor of the the First United Methodist Church in Alexandria will cease to exist after this month after 80 percent of its members left.
In the report, hundreds of the church's members left after Mantor fired Adam Fraley from his position as the church's choir director because he was gay.
Fraley has been attending the methodist church with his partner for six years, and during that time he also served as the choir director.
However, when Mantor was hired, Fraley said that the new pastor told him that he felt 'uncomfortable' with him, and later that he cannot continue being the choir director due to his sexual orientation.
The pastor that's currently at the church, doesn't want to work, or doesn't feel like he can work with somebody, that is like me," said Fraley in a recent interview with local news station WISH.
However, Mantor denies speculations that the reason for the church's closure is the Fraley's firing.
"This is a problem that's going on everywhere", he says, stating that what happened to the First United Methodist Church happens elsewhere.
In the report, since 2002 when the church was established, the record number of members were around 700. Today, there were only 20 to 30 members.
The loss of members has made a direct hit at the church's finances as well, with donations dropping at a high rate through the year.