Churches with Women Pastors  

                                                                                                                   Vol. XII, No. 10, Nov/Dec 1999

Church with woman pastor leaves SBC, joins CBF: University Baptist Church in Bloomington, IN, officially affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship on Sept. 29 and "simultaneously withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention, including its state and local SBC organization." News of the church's action reached the offices of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana in the form of a news release on Oct. 13. The University Baptist Church decision made any action unnecessary by the Indiana state convention annual meeting Oct. 26-27. A state convention official said, "I regret that the University Baptist Church has chosen to retreat instead of repent. Still, I applaud their integrity. If they are going to intentionally step outside of the historic doctrine and practice of our convention, then the right thing for them to do is leave.” [BP]

Church with woman as pastor dismissed from GA association: Georgia's Savannah Association removed Memorial Baptist Church from the fellowship of the association because of its call of a woman as pastor. The issue was whether the church had stepped outside the boundaries of acceptable practice and the majority of messengers voted 181 to 96 that it had. Carolyn Hale was called as pastor of Memorial in March and came to the church in May. The 40-year-old church in southeast Georgia has over 200 members and has a long history of support for women in ministry. [BP]