American Baptists expel 4 pro-gay congregations
American Baptist Press, July 6, 1999
DES MOINES, Iowa – The American Baptist Churches, USA, General Board has voted to expel four churches from the denomination over their “welcoming and affirming” stance toward homosexuals.
Meeting on the eve of the convention’s recent biennial meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, American Baptist leaders narrowly voted to deny separate appeals by four California churches that were earlier dismissed from their regional body.
The churches – First Baptist Church in Berkeley, Lakeshore Baptist Church in Oakland, New Community of Faith in San Jose and San Leandro Community Church in San Francisco – all belong to the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. The association, organized in 1993, has about 30 member churches that open their membership to gay, lesbian and bisexual persons.
Sharp differences
The close votes reflected sharp differences that exist over the issue. After narrowly sustaining the Ohio church in its first vote, the General Board expelled First Baptist Church of Berkeley by one vote, 77-76. The vote against Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church grew to 83-70. The other votes were 83-71 and 82-72.
The General Board, however, granted the appeal of a fifth Welcoming and Affirming congregation that was kicked out of its region, First Baptist Church in Granville, Ohio. The group voted 79-73, with one abstention, to keep the Ohio congregation in good standing with the national denomination while it seeks membership in a new region.
Traditionally, American Baptist churches cannot affiliate with the national body unless they are also members of a region. Standing rules, however, allow a church dismissed by its region to appeal to the national body.
A motion to reconsider the vote on the Ohio congregation was tabled, meaning the Granville church remains in the convention, at least until the General Board’s November meeting.