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Calif. convention expels 'Third Way' church

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Revmitchell, Sep 12, 2014.

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  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- The California Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Board voted Thursday (Sept. 11) to withdraw fellowship from a church whose pastor says he believes homosexual acts are not always sinful.

    In a unanimous vote of the 35 members present (six were absent), the board voted to withdraw fellowship from New Heart Community Church in La Mirada, Calif., for holding beliefs contrary to the Baptist Faith & Message. Article XVIII of the BF&M defines marriage as "the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime." Article XV states, "Christians should oppose ... all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography."

    Board chairman Montia Setzler sent word to Cortez of the board's decision on Sept. 12.

    Setzler, pastor of Magnolia Church in Riverside, Calif., said the board was acting as the "convention ad interim" in taking the action. Article VI, Section 1 of the CSBC Constitution gives the Executive Board the "authority to act for the Convention between its sessions."

    This is the first time in 74 years of existence that the convention has withdrawn fellowship from a church, Setzler said. He added that the CSBC once opted not to receive Cooperative Program gifts from a church.


    http://www.bpnews.net/43349/calif-convention-expels-third-way-church
     
    #1 Revmitchell, Sep 12, 2014
  2. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    The convention can not tell a local church what to do.
    They did the only thing possible - disfellowship
    and good for them.
     
    #2 Salty, Sep 12, 2014
  3. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    In Baptist terms what does withdraw fellowship really mean other than that church cannot send voting members to conventions.

    Would the CA association still accept cash donations from that church.

    The only way I know that an individual church can disassociate itself from an association and the SBC is to simply stop sending money.

    Not looking for a fight, but information.
     
    #3 Crabtownboy, Sep 12, 2014
  4. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    I too am puzzled, by Baptist Press using the word expel in the headline. Are Baptist churches actually members of the Convention, that can be expelled? Isn't it more like a declaration that the church's messengers will not be seated? Would someone versed in Southern Baptist Denominationalism please explain.
     
    #4 Jerome, Sep 12, 2014
  5. go2church

    go2church Active Member
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    Pretty standard stuff. California Convention won't receive the churches money or seat their messengers any longer. Imagine there will be a report about this at the annual convention. The association, think a district within the state convention, will basically do the same thing, though they have escrowed monies sent and will return them once made official at annual meeting. State convention didn't do this.

    A church can formally break ties by sending a letter to association, state convention or national convention stating as much.

    Looks like the people who left the church intend to establish another church and will probably begin the process of becoming members of association, state and national convention though that is me reading between the lines of the article.
     
    #5 go2church, Sep 12, 2014
  6. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Since that church is no longer affiliated with the SBC, they may no longer self-identify as a SBC church.

    Now if that church is dumb enough to send money to the Assoc and or State Convention, I'm sure the Convention will be "dumb" enough to accept it.

    Negative - several churches do not send money to the Assoc or Convention - but they are still members.
     
    #6 Salty, Sep 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 13, 2014
  7. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Now THAT is an example of judging rightly!
     
    #7 Yeshua1, Sep 13, 2014
  8. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Totally untrue. Hopefully the state official is just ignorant.
     
    #8 Jerome, Sep 13, 2014
  9. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Nope. Just a sample:

    http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/3289,19-Nov-1971.pdf
    http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/4958,19-Nov-1979.pdf
    http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/4960,21-Nov-1979.pdf
    http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/7497,21-Jan-1993.pdf
    http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/7680,22-Nov-1993.pdf
    Messy dispute in Calif. association likely to be aired at SBC meeting
    So, not so unprecedented a step as the denominational bureaucrat is trying to cast it. Does Baptist Press do even minimal fact checking?
     
    #9 Jerome, Sep 18, 2014
  10. Reynolds

    Reynolds Well-Known Member
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    Good. Glad they took a stand.
     
    #10 Reynolds, Sep 21, 2014
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