(ChurchLeaders) A Southern Baptist congregation near Atlanta says its ties to the denomination are in jeopardy because it openly welcomes gay members. Jim Conrad, longtime pastor of Towne View Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Georgia, tells ChurchLeaders the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has put him on notice because of his inclusion policy. Via both phone call and letter, he says, he was informed that the Credentials Committee “will recommend to the Executive Committee at its February 22-23 meeting that our church be deemed ‘not in friendly cooperation’ and be dismissed from membership in the SBC.”
Conrad tells ChurchLeaders, “The Credentials Committee is recommending that our church no longer be welcomed as a member of the SBC because we have welcomed LGBTQ believers as members of our church. While we recognize their rights and responsibility, we respectfully disagree and remain committed to sharing God’s good news with all God’s children.”