"a United Methodist church in Massachusetts"
Of course it is. 
Sadly, very not surprising. If any in his congregation were "stunned", it may have been at how long he delayed this announcement.
Denominations such as the UMC, Episcopalians, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have been racing down this away-from-the-Bible road for several decades. As a consequence, many people and congregations have left these denominations, and the denominational attitude has been, "
Good riddance, Fundie!"