Attendance at First Christian Church of Visalia is a little lighter these days. That's because last month members of the church voted to sever ties with its denomination Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The move came after the denomination's general assembly passed a resolution over the summer encouraging interreligious engagements, said Michael Messinger, pastor of First Christian Church in Visalia.
The denomination has long had a reputation for being too liberal, Messinger said.
"It was very hard. It was difficult for everybody, but I think most of the people here —our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus Christ, not a denomination," he said.
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