(The Christian Post) After more than a year of contentious disagreements, nearly 150 members of the historic First Baptist Fort Lauderdale church in Florida say they have voted to fire their “bullying” lead pastor, James Welch, their nine-member board of trustees, and half the church’s deacons. But leaders say the vote has no standing.
“Pastor James R. Welch has not created a stable environment, but instead has created a toxic environment and polarized atmosphere for both congregants and staff. Without the recognition [of] mistakes or the willingness to listen to congregants, Deacon Body or Trustee Board there is no hope for improvement and thus no way forward,” disgruntled members of the 113-year-old Southern Baptist Convention church, who now call themselves the First Baptist Church FTL Advocacy Group, wrote in a summary of concerns about their new pastor, who has been in his role since the spring of 2019.