“It’s also a $44 million kingdom asset that we have $41 million in equity in, and so we are not going to lightly walk away from that.”

The biggest Presbyterian Church in Orlando and one of the largest in the country could soon become a very different place. The church’s national affiliation has agreed to allow gays into the ministry, and WFTV found out the Orlando church wants to cut ties with the denomination.

The question over gays in the ministry has been an issue for this church for 33 years.

On Tuesday, a decision was made and the head of the Presbyterian Church of Orlando said it’s a decision they will fight. The church could be on the cusp of a crusade.

“We are in the process right now of considering a wide variety of options, one of which is dismissal from this denomination,” said Dr. David Swanson of the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando.

The church’s national affiliation, PCUSA, voted to allow gays into the ministry.
Now, the church will ask their affiliation to break away and join another national Presbyterian group that would prevent gays in the ministry.

“It’s not that we as a church are being anti-gay, it’s that we’re trying to lift up the way in which God wants us to live,” said Dr. Swanson.