LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Baptist church in Kentucky has severed ties with its local association of churches.
Central Baptist Church, Lexington, Ky., voted unanimously in December to end its nearly 60-year membership in Elkhorn Baptist Association, according to a news release dated Feb. 10. The vote reportedly stemmed from a letter from a sister-church pastor to the association’s membership committee questioning a blog post by Central Pastor Mark Johnson. The blog featured an Indianapolis church’s marketing campaign that asked “Who Stole Jesus?” which included the sentence: “The real Jesus celebrated diversity in God’s creation, including gay and transgender people.”
The complaining pastor affirmed Central Baptist’s right to follow its conscience but questioned “whether or not they should do so as a cooperating member of the Elkhorn Baptist Association.” The congregation opted to leave the association rather than fight.
The church left the Southern Baptist Convention and Kentucky Baptist Convention a decade ago.
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