Editing Metropolitan Community Church (section)

=== Cathedral of Hope disaffiliation ===
In 2003, a scandal occurred involving the flagship of the church, as well as the largest gay church in the world, [[Cathedral of Hope (Dallas)|Cathedral of Hope]], when former board member Terri Frey accused minister [[Michael S. Piazza]] of financial impropriety, an accusation that prompted the UFMCC to open an investigation. However, the investigation ended when the cathedral's membership voted to disaffiliate from UFMCC with 88% support. In 2006, the Cathedral of Hope was received into membership in the [[United Church of Christ]]. The split cost UFMCC 9% of its membership, and 7% of its annual operating budget. Church members, including copastor Mona West, claimed that the vote was less about the investigation and more about the congregation's long-simmering frustration with the denomination, including the opinion that the denomination was focused too much on gay issues and hampered their desire to reach out to Dallas residents disaffected by conservative churches; as church member Michael Magnia explained: "The tie with MCC was more about gays and lesbians. You're going to have a difficult time getting even progressive heterosexuals to come to a church that is anchored to a gay and lesbian church."<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Caldwell |title=When the rainbow isn't enuf: a disagreement over its gay focus splits the world's largest GLBT denomination from its biggest church |date=30 September 2003 |publisher=Liberation Publications, Inc. |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/When+the+rainbow+isn't+enuf%3A+a+disagreement+over+its+gay+focus+splits...-a0110917225 |work=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |access-date=20 August 2010 |quote=church member Michael Magnia. "The tie with MCC was more about gays and lesbians. You're going to have a difficult time getting even progressive heterosexuals to come to a church that is anchored to a gay and lesbian church." |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018142038/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/When+the+rainbow+isn't+enuf%3A+a+disagreement+over+its+gay+focus+splits...-a0110917225 |archive-date=18 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>