BAYTOWN, Texas — The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s (SBTC) executive board has acted unanimously to disaffiliate a church for violating the convention’s constitutional provision concerning churches that “affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior.” The SBTC credentials committee and two SBTC staff members met Dec. 20, 2005, for one hour and 45 minutes with the pastor of Faith Harbour — previously an SBTC congregation in Baytown. Deron Biles, SBTC minister-church relations director, said the committee hoped to clarify Faith Harbour’s stance toward a church it is helping sponsor and allowing to meet in its facilities, which bills itself on its Web site as welcoming and affirming of homosexual, bisexual and transgendered people.
Additionally the new church, Eklektos, has a female senior pastor. Biles said the committee and Faith Harbour Pastor Randy Haney were unable to resolve their differences over Faith Harbour’s involvement with Eklektos. Article III of the SBTC’s constitution states: “ … Among churches not in cooperation with the Convention are churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior.” South Texas Baptist Association, of which Faith Harbour was a member, presented the church a letter notifying them of the association’s intent to disaffiliate them the same day the SBTC credentials committee met with Haney.
On the church’s Internet blog Jan. 10, Haney wrote, “It always amazes me how much people hate those who try to get out of the box and take the message of Jesus Christ to those who are considered unclean. Now that I think about it, that was part of what the Jews hated about Jesus. How dare we defile the sanctuary by inviting sinners to come and be a part of hearing the message of Christ!”
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