ALBANY, Ga. — For the second year in a row, the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC) has withdrawn fellowship from one of its most historic member churches for calling a woman as pastor.
Meeting Nov. 15–16 at Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Ga., more than 1,000 GBC messengers endorsed a March vote by the convention’s executive committee declaring that Druid Hills Baptist Church, Atlanta, is not a “cooperating church” under the denomination’s articles of faith.
The convention overwhelmingly accepted a recommendation by its executive committee stating “that Druid Hills Baptist Church in Atlanta is not a cooperating church as defined in Article 2, Section 1 of the constitution, because a woman is serving as co-pastor and that Druid Hills Baptist Church of Atlanta be excluded from the convention and all rights and privileges thereof.” That article defines cooperation in terms of fidelity to the 2000 version of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Baptist Faith and Message statement, which says in part, “While men and women are gifted for service within the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”
Mimi Walker, co-pastor of Druid Hills with her husband, Graham, who teaches at McAfee School of Theology, has been listed as a pastor in the state convention’s annual record book since 2003. Last year convention leaders viewed that as “a matter of concern,” said executive committee member Tom Rush, prompting a meeting between leaders of the convention and congregation. After the meeting, the executive committee approved a recommendation by its administrative committee to withdraw fellowship from Druid Hills.
Last year Georgia Baptists took similar action against First Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga., a long-time leading church in the convention until it called Julie Pennington-Russell as pastor in 2007. (TAB)
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