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 | 1995-JUN The Columbus Baptist Association expelled the Granville Baptist Church in Granville, OH. It was a member of the AWAB. | ||||||||
| 1995-NOV: Some members of the ABCUSA expressed concern that debates about the homosexual issue in the ABCUSA could eventually cause schism. The General Board created a Commission on Denominational Unity. Its purpose was "... to find ways to deal constructively with issues around which there has been considerable disagreement." The homosexual issue was specifically mentioned as one of the issues. | ||||||||
| 1996-JAN:
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| 1996-OCT The Alaska Association of Baptist Churches and Institutions
considered expelling the Church of the Covenant in Palmer, AK. At the
AABCI's annual meeting, Rev. Evan Jones of Fairbanks:
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| 1996-JUN: The ABCUSA voted by close margins to expel the four California churches which had been conditionally disfellowshipped in 1996-JAN. | ||||||||
| 1996-AUG: The Ministers Council of the American Baptist Churches USA sponsored a dialog on homosexuality between theologians Dr. Manfred Brauch and Dr. William Herzog. Each interpreted the anti-gay "clobber" passages in the Bible very differently. A video tape of the dialogue was made available. | ||||||||
| 1998-JUN: The General Board adopted recommendations from the
Commission on Denominational Unity's report:
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| 1999: Five congregations appealed their expulsions from their regions to the General Board. The First Baptist Church of Granville, OH, was allowed to remain a Cooperating Church of ABCUSA, but remained expelled from their region. The appeals of four congregations in California: First Baptist Church, Berkeley; Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, Oakland; New Community of Faith, San Jose; and San Leandro Community Church, San Leandro were all denied. The four congregations remained expelled. 1 | ||||||||
| 2003-AUG: The General Board of the ABCUSA approved the establishment of a new regional association, the Evergreen Baptist Association located in Kent, WA. The Association was formed by progressive congregations who welcome and accept homosexuals. They had felt ostracized by the more conservative American Baptist Churches of the Northwest. 5 | ||||||||
| 2003-SEP-20: According to the Christian Century magazine, about a dozen ABC regions have some congregations that affirm and accept homosexuals. | ||||||||
| 2004-JUN-15: The ABCUSA and Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)
had both been long-time members of the worldwide Baptist World Alliance (BWA). At
their 2004 annual meeting, the SBC messengers (delegates) voted overwhelmingly
to separate from the BWA, effective 2004-OCT-01. The reason given was because
of the BWA's increasingly liberal stance. A contributing factor was the BWA's
refusal to deal with the partial acceptance of homosexuals by the ABCUSA. A second concern of
the SBC was that some of the denominations in the BWA no longer believe in the
inerrancy and infallibility of the
Bible. 4 Two years later, at the time of the split between the ABCUSA and its Pacific Southwest region, Paige Patterson, president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary said that the Southern Baptists could "no longer afford to be aligned in any way" with any group that condones the practice of homosexuality in churches. 4 | ||||||||
| 2005:
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| 2006-MAY-11: The ABCPSW region formally separated from the parent denomination. More information |
References used:
The following information source was used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlink is not necessarily still active today.
- "Responses/actions pertaining to homosexuality," ABCUSA, at: http://www.abc-usa.org/ This is a PDF file.
- Robert Marus, "American Baptist region withdraws, may trigger split in denomination," 2005-SEP-13, Associated Baptist Press, at: http://www.abpnews.com/
- Gregory Tomlin, "Split among American Baptists over homosexuality is final," Baptist Press, 2006-MAY-18, at: http://www.bpnews.net/
- Don Hinkle, "SBC severs ties with BWA as theological concerns remain," Southern Baptist Convention, 2004-JUN-15, at: http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net
- "American Baptist Churches in the USA's governing board has approved the creation of a regional association designed for gay-friendly churches," Christian Century, 2003-AUG-09, at: http://findarticles.com/
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Home > Conflict > Homosexuality > Religious groups > Christian > ABC > here |
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Home > Religious info. > Basic > Marriage > Same-sex marriage > Menu > Christian > ABC > here |
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Home > "Hot" topics > Homosexuality > Same-sex marriage > Menu > Christian > ABC >> here |
Copyright 1999 to 2008 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 1999-NOV-28.
Latest update: 2008-JAN-15
Author: B.A. Robinson
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