LDS church is cutting ties with Boy Scouts

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Tuesday evening it is ending its century-old partnership with the Boy Scouts of America.

The statement released Tuesday said that church plans to create and implement a leadership and development for members globally which led to the end of the partnership.

In this century of shared experience, the Church has grown from a U.S.-centered institution to a worldwide organization, with a majority of its membership living outside the United States. That trend is accelerating,” the statement said. “The Church has increasingly felt the need to create and implement a uniform youth leadership and development program that serves its members globally. In so doing, it will be necessary for the Church to discontinue its role as a chartered partner with BSA.”

The church intends to officially end the partnership on December 31st, 2019 with all Scouting programs around the world.