wfn.org | AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS - URGENT POSTING

[LEAH_MCCARTER.parti@ecunet.org (LEAH MCCARTER)]

To: wfn-editors@wfn.org

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
Richard W. Schramm, Director (E-mail: RICHARD.SCHRAMM@ABC-
USA.ORG)

July 26, 1999

SIX AMERICAN BAPTIST REGIONS REQUEST ADJUDICATION WITH GENERAL
BOARD OVER DECISION TO DENY APPEALS OF FOUR CHURCHES TO REMAIN
COOPERATING CHURCHES

 VALLEY FORGE, PA. (ABNS)—Six regions within American
Baptist Churches USA have requested adjudication with the
denomination’s General Board over its decision last month not
to grant the appeals of four churches in California--First
Baptist Church, Berkeley; Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church,
Oakland; New Community of Faith, San Jose; and San Leandro
Community Church, San Leandro--to be cooperating churches of
American Baptist Churches USA but not of the region of which
they had been a part, American Baptist Churches of the West.

 The adjudication process among American Baptist boards
(national, regional, General) is contained in the
denomination’s Standing Rule 18.11, which details a method for
covenanting parties to deal with  differences.  (Standing Rule
18.11.2: “The General Secretary shall nominate to the
differing parties an Adjudicator, usually the General Board
Executive Committee.  If the General Board is one of the
differing parties, the General Executive Council Executive
Committee shall serve as or nominate an Adjudicator.”)

  Regions requesting adjudication were American Baptist
Churches of Metro Chicago, American Baptist Churches of
Metropolitan New York, American Baptist Churches of
Connecticut, Philadelphia Baptist Association, American
Baptist Churches of Massachusetts and American Baptist
Churches of the Rochester/Genesee Region.

  In written requests for adjudication (signed by region
presidents and/or other representatives and executives) to
General Secretary Daniel E. Weiss, the regions criticized the
General Board actions for lacking  procedural due process and
violating local church autonomy, and for failing to prove that
the churches had violated the common criteria (Standing Rule
5.1) to which all cooperating churches subscribe.

Weiss, in a letter July 22 to members of the General
Board and General Executive Council, noted, “Upon the advice
of legal counsel, I have notified these churches in writing
that their status as an ABC Cooperating Church will be
maintained beyond the thirty (30) day period required under
Standing Rule 5.3.3 until resolution is reached.”

Weiss reported that resolution can be reached when one of
the following occurs: each of the regions that filed a request
to adjudicate or the General Board changes its action, or the
final decision of the adjudicator is rendered.  He said, “I
have also notified the Ministers and Missionaries Benefit
Board of this change and ensured that the 501(c)(3) status of
those churches covered under the ABC exemption is maintained
until resolution is reached.”

  Weiss said in his letter, “Since the General Board is
‘one of the differing parties,’ this issue is now under the
jurisdiction of the General Executive Council Executive
Committee.*”

 *The General Executive Council is comprised of members of the
National Executive Council, Regional Executive Ministers
Council, associate national secretaries and executives of a
number of related organizations.