Wisconsin church severs ties with Boy Scouts

The Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ in Madison has severed ties with a Boy Scout troop because of the organization’s policy of excluding gays from membership and leadership positions, the Associated Press reports. “The Scouting policy is inconsistent with our policy of affirming and welcoming gay and lesbian people,” said the Rev. Winton Boyd, the congregation’s pastor. The First Congregational Church is also considering cutting ties with a troop it has sponsored for 80 years because of the Boy Scouts’ stance, said Jerry Hancock, a member of the church’s board of directors. The Wisconsin churches are the latest in a string of organizations that have relinquished ties with the Scouts after the U.S. Supreme Court in June upheld the group’s ban on gay Scout leaders. Wisconsin United Way organizations are also considering withdrawing their support of the Scouts.