Atlanta Bap. Assoc. Retains Pro-Homosexual Churches
by T. C. Pinckney
Vol. XIV, No. 5, May 2001
Introduction: The March 2001 Baptist Banner carried an
article "Atlanta Baptist Association affirms homosexual-friendly congregations",
which told of a 30 January meeting of the Atlanta Baptist Association where a motion to
dismiss two homosexual-friendly churches (Oakhurst and Virginia-Highland) from membership
in the association was defeated. The unfolding story is summarized below with the
substance taken from two Baptist Press and two Associated Baptist Press articles.
History: In June 1992 the Southern Baptist Convention voted to amend Article III if its constitution to exclude from membership "churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior." Shortly after that Oakhurst and Virginia-Highland ended active affiliation with the SBC but retained membership with the Atlanta Baptist Association and the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC) as well as with the "moderate" Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the even more liberal Alliance of Baptists. At the 16 November 2000 annual meeting of the GBC messengers overwhelmingly withdrew fellowship from Virginia-Highland and Oakhurst, the first time in its 177 years that the GBC had disfellowshipped a church. Following a nearly year-long dialogue with the two churches, at the 30 January 2001 meeting of the Atlanta Baptist Association a motion to remove them associational membership was defeated 253-164. After the Atlanta Association vote, leaders of both the Georgia Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board announced plans to stop funding missionary positions in Atlanta Association unless the association changes its stand.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta-based CBF recently adopted a "value statement"
described by its top leader as "welcoming but not affirming" of gays. The new
policy allows gay-friendly churches to be part of the CBF but forbids direct funding of
theology schools that have open-admissions policies that include sexual orientation. The
Alliance of Baptists, an older but smaller SBC splinter group, welcomes gays and supports
churches that affirm homosexuals.
Latest events:
22 February: About 50 Atlanta Baptists met to take initial steps to
form a new Baptist association in protest of a January vote by the Atlanta Baptist
Association to retain Oakhurst and Virginia-Highland. Those present came from about 18
different churches, according to a report in The Christian Index, the Georgia
state Baptist newspaper. They passed a resolution announcing their intent to form a new
association. Since most of those present had not been elected to represent their churches
officially, a future meeting will be scheduled after congregations have voted whether to
join the new association. They elected Tim Clark, pastor of Pine Lake Baptist Church, as
moderator pro-tem. Volunteers formed an executive planning committee for the new group,
tentatively called the Metro Atlanta Baptist Association. The committee will draft bylaws
to be adopted at the next meeting. After that, charter churches will be admitted and
officers elected.
12 March: At an Atlanta Baptist Association meeting messengers approved by the required two-thirds a new bylaw excluding any church "which knowingly takes, or has taken, any action to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior." A following vote to sever ties with two churches fell short of a required two-thirds majority, with association messengers voting 254-188 for expulsion (two-thirds would have required 295 votes). Observers said they were confused by the seeming discrepancy between the two ballots. Referral of a third motion on church discipline to the association's membership committee suggested the issue isn't yet dead.
Defenders of the 30 January vote by the Association to retain the two churches said it was not meant to be an endorsement of homosexuality but a recognition of autonomy of the local church. Critics said local-church autonomy does not excuse toleration of sin and that the association has the right and responsibility to discipline wayward churches.
For more than three hours, association messengers discussed and debated the issues surrounding the involvement of the two churches that affirm homosexuality. John Wyatt, moderator of the meeting and pastor of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-affiliated First Baptist Church, Tucker, GA, called the meeting historic. "This is a very important, very historic moment that has to do with the future of our association," said Wyatt.
Immediately following the passage of the amendment, another motion was offered to expel the two congregations. That vote failed, prompting another round of bickering about the voting process.
13 March: In another development, the Georgia Baptist Convention executive committee voted to cut off all funding for the Atlanta Association after 31 December for retaining the two gay-friendly congregations. "We cannot agree with the Atlanta Baptist Association, and we have no other way to express our dissatisfaction," said Robert White, executive director of the Georgia convention. White described the state convention and association as "two ships steaming further and further away from each other." The SBC North American Mission Board said earlier it would go along with the state convention in defunding 16 missionary positions, along with special-ministry funds. The Atlanta association will lose $47,000 in special project money and $113,000, matched by the Southern Baptist Convention to fund 16 Atlanta-area missionaries. The association's annual budget is about $750,000.
So far, 19 congregations affiliated with the Atlanta Baptist Association have discussed leaving. Rehoboth Baptist Church, a congregation of more than 6,000 members, has already announced its intention to leave the ABA.
For traditional, conservative Southern Baptists, the decision not to oust the two pro-homosexual churches prompted reactions of shock and disbelief. "Our Georgia Baptist forefathers are rolling over in their graves," said Gray Lambert, a messenger from Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church. "Whoever would have thought that we would be associated with homosexuals? We need a spiritual revival in the Atlanta Baptist Association," he said. "But this is terribly sad. We should pray for the leaders of this association."
Other messengers disputed the claims by Oakhurst church members that their congregation does not condone homosexuality. "If you take up collections for Gay Pride Day in your church, then that is condoning," said Ian Madge, a messenger from Northwest Baptist Church. "What's next? Maybe we could have adulterers pride day or thieves pride day. "I can't believe these Christian people voted against this motion," Lambert said.
Chris Copeland, associate pastor of Oakhurst Baptist Church, told Baptist Press he was surprised that the association changed its bylaws but refused to expel the congregation. While Copeland said his Baptist church has not performed a same-sex union, he said it is not out of the question. "I think our church would probably be open to the possibility of having same-sex unions," he said.
For some traditionally conservative Baptists, that's all the more reason to leave the association. "There is a militant effort by those who proclaim this lifestyle to force it upon the rest of us," Lambert said. "Dare we call ourselves Baptists if we do?"
Chris Graham, pastor of the CBF-affiliated Church of the Savior, came to the defense of the two pro-homosexual churches. "Virginia-Highland and Oakhurst have borne the brunt of this issue," he said. "But they aren't the only churches that have gay Christians. This is not some sinister movement coming
from California. The question we have to ask is, will we as a local association have
the courage to do what the SBC and the CBF will not do?"
Conclusion: As noted above, at the 12 March associational meeting a third motion on church discipline was referred to the association's membership committee, so the final curtain has not been lowered. Stay tuned.