Louisville, USA - The Philadelphia area unit of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ended ties with a "messianic" Jewish congregation, Avodat Yisrael, which it had supported since 2002, Presbyterian News Service reported.
An official said the congregation failed to meet the goals for membership and attendance in its funding application.
Jews had complained over what they regarded as a church pretending to be a synagogue.
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism called the decision "a vital step toward better understanding and mutual respect." But he said "there remain serious disagreements."
One disagreement involves the denomination's decision last year to research withdrawal of investments from companies that do business with Israel.