NASHVILLE (BP) -- After nearly a year and a half of discussions concerning a Washington church with lesbian co-pastors, the Southern Baptist Convention has notified the District of Columbia Baptist Convention that "the formal relationship between the SBC and the DCBC has come to an end," according to a statement by interim Executive Committee president D. August Boto.
At its Feb. 19-20 meeting in Nashville, the EC adopted a recommendation granting the DCBC 90 days to "secure" the "removal of any churches from its fellowship that have demonstrated a faith or practice affirming, approving or endorsing homosexual behavior." If such churches remained in friendly cooperation with the DCBC after May 20, the EC stated, the DCBC would lose its authorization "to receive and disburse Cooperative Program and other SBC contributions."
At issue was Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, which cooperates with the DCBC and voted in January 2017 to call a legally-married lesbian couple as co-pastors. Calvary voted in 2012 to cease cooperation with the SBC.
Boto told Baptist Press he received a letter May 21 from DCBC executive director Robert Cochran "indicating that the DCBC has not taken action the Executive Committee hoped it would when it issued its Feb. 20 decision. In his letter, Cochran divulged that he anticipated an end to our relationship."
http://bpnews.net/50939/sbc-ends-relationship-with-dc-convention
At its Feb. 19-20 meeting in Nashville, the EC adopted a recommendation granting the DCBC 90 days to "secure" the "removal of any churches from its fellowship that have demonstrated a faith or practice affirming, approving or endorsing homosexual behavior." If such churches remained in friendly cooperation with the DCBC after May 20, the EC stated, the DCBC would lose its authorization "to receive and disburse Cooperative Program and other SBC contributions."
At issue was Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, which cooperates with the DCBC and voted in January 2017 to call a legally-married lesbian couple as co-pastors. Calvary voted in 2012 to cease cooperation with the SBC.
Boto told Baptist Press he received a letter May 21 from DCBC executive director Robert Cochran "indicating that the DCBC has not taken action the Executive Committee hoped it would when it issued its Feb. 20 decision. In his letter, Cochran divulged that he anticipated an end to our relationship."
http://bpnews.net/50939/sbc-ends-relationship-with-dc-convention