wfn.org | American Baptist General Board Meeting Update June 25 1999

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AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE
Office of Communication
American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director
  E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

UPDATE:  June 28, 1999

GENERAL BOARD/BIENNIAL MEETING UPDATE: June 25, 1999

Des Moines, Ia. / June 18-21, 1999
GENERAL BOARD DENIES APPEALS OF FOUR DISMISSED CHURCHES IN
CALIFORNIA,GRANTS APPEAL OF DISMISSED CHURCH IN OHIO, TO
REMAIN COOPERATING CHURCHES OF AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES USA
  DES MOINES, IA.--The American Baptist Churches USA
General Board, meeting here in semiannual sessions, voted to
deny the appeals of four California churches dismissed from
the American Baptist Churches of the West but grant the
appeal of a church in Ohio that had been dismissed from the
American Baptist Churches of Ohio to remain cooperating
churches of American Baptist Churches USA.
  The votes on the appeals followed considerable time
given to the subject here over three days for discussion in
both large and small groups, clarification, questions and
debate.
  All five congregations have been members of the
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, an
organization dedicated to incorporating gay, lesbian and
bisexual persons into all aspects of church life.
  The action affects First Baptist Church of Berkeley
(vote: 76 yes, 77 no, 0 abstentions); Lakeshore Avenue
Baptist Church in Oakland (vote: 70 yes, 83 no, 1
abstention); New Community of Faith church in San Jose
(vote: 71 yes, 83 no, 0 abstentions); and San Leandro
Community Church in San Leandro (vote: 72 yes, 82 no, 0
abstentions).
  The action also affects First Baptist Church of
Granville, Ohio (vote: 79 yes, 73 no, 1 abstention).
  The General Board actions followed a process
articulated in the denomination's standing rules (5.3) which
allows a church dismissed by its region to appeal to the
General Board through the Executive Committee.  Under the
process the Executive Committee, after consideration of all
aspects of the appeal, would present its counsel to the
General Board as to whether or not to retain the church in
question as a cooperating church of American Baptist
Churches USA (but not of the dismissing region), based on
the Common Criteria.
  The rules relative to the appeals process as outlined
in Standing Rule 5.3.4 were deemed to have been met by all
five churches and by the dismissing regions.
  In its report the Executive Committee, which had
handled the appeals process through its Implementation
Subcommittee, stressed, "Because of our concern not to
establish polity precedents which are inconsistent with the
way in which we have chosen to live together as a
denomination, we believe it is important for local
congregations to be constituents of both a region and
ABC/USA."
  The Executive Committee's counsel to the Board had
been the following process:
  1.  Rescind the June 1998 action which the General
Board took in defeating Recommendation XI of the
Commission on Denominational Unity ("Recognize the
right of churches that are dismissed from one
region to apply for admission into another region
and the right of any region to either accept or
reject such application for admission.").  The
General Board voted to rescind the 1998 action (91
yes, 46 no and 2 
abstentions).

  2.  Suspend the rules relative to the appeal of the
dismissed churches (Standing Rule 5.3.6) for a
period ending June 2001 during which time the
dismissed churches will seek a regional home.
(Standing Rule 5.3.6: "Time Line.  The Executive
Committee shall present the counsel provided for...at
the next regularly scheduled meeting of the General
Board which is at least six (6) months and not more
than one year after the postmark of the church's
notice of intent....")  The General Board voted not
to suspend the Standing Rules (69 yes, 82 no, 0
abstentions).
  3.  If the rules were not suspended, "the Executive
Committee...has a duty to counsel the General Board
regarding its action on the appeals of the
dismissed churches."  That counsel 
stated:

a. To recognize the right of Regions to determine
the membership of their Regions in accordance with
the Common Criteria;  b.  To recognize that no
action of the General Board can be construed to
overrule a Region's decision regarding its own
membership;  c.  To grant the appeal of (each
church appealing) to remain a cooperating church of
ABCUSA, but not of (region that dismissed that
church);  d.  To encourage (each church appealing)
to find a Region with which to affiliate.

WEISS, NOTING 'HURT ON BOTH SIDES,' CALLS FOR 'PRAYER,
RECONCILIATION, HEALING' FOLLOWING VOTE ON DISMISSED
CHURCHES
  DES MOINES, IA.--In a passionate address here to the
American Baptist Churches USA General Board, General
Secretary Daniel E. Weiss stressed that "people have been
hurt on both sides" of the issue of the appeals of five
churches seeking to remain cooperating churches of American
Baptist Churches USA.
  The votes had been preceded by a long appeals process
and lively and sometimes contentious debate and commentary
at the meeting and before.
  "There's nothing to celebrate here--no matter how you
voted," Weiss said.  Noting the need for "deep prayer,
reconciliation and healing," he said, "I have a deeper
concern and a sadder heart than I have ever felt before."
Weiss said American Baptists need to some basic questions:
"What is our polity?  Does autonomy cease to exist? [Can we
also know] the clear meaning of Scripture?"
  Alluding to NEW LIFE 2010, the denominational emphasis
calling for 1,010 new congregations and the reaching of
1,000,010 new believers, Weiss said, "When you decide to do
something really important for Jesus Christ, the Evil One
comes in."