Church drops Boy Scouts over gay youth, leaders

MURFREESBORO, TN (KTRK) -- A Boy Scout troop in Tennessee will have to find a new meeting place after a church says its ending its support over concerns about the organization's "sexual purity."

North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro informed the Cub and Boy Scouts the congregation decided to end their corporate partnership with Boy Scouts of America after the national organization lifted its ban of openly gay scouts and scout leaders, WKRN-TV reports.

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Larry Brown, a Middle Tennessee Scouting Council executive, says they respect the church's decision.

"I don't think they made it lightly, they care about the community," Brown said. "They care about the boys."

In a statement, Senior Minister David Young says the Scouts have done "a great amount of good" during their partnership with North Boulevard but changing policy spurred their decision.

"Scouting policies regarding sexual purity no longer reflect our values-values grounded in the work of Christ, in the Scriptures, and in nearly 2,000 years of church teaching," Young said.

The church said it would give the Scouts time to relocate and find other sponsors.

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