The officers of Madison Baptist Association have recommended the association’s executive board withdraw fellowship from Weatherly Heights Baptist Church, Huntsville, whose pastor supports same-sex “marriage.”
Madison Association said in a written statement that Weatherly Heights Baptist is in violation of a section in the association’s bylaws that defines marriage as “a union between one man and one woman.”
The church’s position on same-sex “marriage” became national news when Ellin Jimmerson, the church’s unpaid minister to the community, announced she would officiate the first same-sex “marriage” in Huntsville on Feb. 9 following a federal court decision overturning the state’s ban on same-sex unions (see “SBC ethics leader Moore foresees national legalization of gay ‘marriage’” in the Feb. 19 issue of The Alabama Baptist).
David Freeman, pastor of Weatherly Heights, had earlier shared from the pulpit that he supported same-sex “marriage.” Freeman said in a statement to The Alabama Baptist, “(Same-sex ‘marriage’) does not conflict with other teachings of the Bible, which, in my opinion, do not address adult, loving monogamous same-sex relationships. We must not equate abusive relationships (rape or pederasty) with adult, loving, monogamous same-sex relationships.”
Freeman said his position “created a lot of tension in the church.” Leaders told him that while he was free to perform same-sex unions as an individual, no such weddings could be performed on any church property and that he was “not free to perform the weddings in the name of Weatherly Heights Baptist Church.”
Meeting with pastor, church
Following a conversation between Freeman and Charles Howell, Madison Association director of missions, about the church’s position on same-sex “marriage,” associational officers met with representatives of the congregation Feb. 17. That meeting led to a recommendation by the officers that the association’s executive board withdraw fellowship from Weatherly Heights at the board’s March 5 meeting.
A written statement released by Madison Association said, “As the meeting between leaders progressed it became evident that there would be no agreement on this issue concerning same-sex ‘marriage,’ and that the association’s constitution and bylaws, with relation to this issue, would not be adhered to. Thus the general officers of the Madison Baptist Association are making a recommendation to the executive board that Weatherly Heights Baptist Church be dismissed from membership in the Madison Baptist Association.”
The association’s bylaws state, “Marriage is a union between one man and one woman, following biblical principles. … God sanctions only the union in marriage of a man to a woman.” The association’s constitution defines “the latest revision adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention” of the Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) as the “biblical doctrines which churches of this body hold in common.”
‘Covenant commitment’
The BF&M defines marriage as “the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime” and states that Christians should oppose “all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality and pornography.”
Both Freeman and Howell described the meeting as “cordial.” Freeman added, “(Madison Association) representatives determined that my beliefs about homosexuality and same-sex ‘marriage’ fall outside the positions adopted in the association’s bylaws.”
In an email to the Weatherly Heights congregation following his meeting with associational leaders, Freeman speculated that the church will be disfellowshipped.
“I emphasized that our church has not formed a position on these matters,” Freeman wrote regarding homosexuality, according to WHNT news in Huntsville. “Members of our church are free to form their own positions. My positions are mine alone.”
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions Executive Director Rick Lance said in a written statement, “We have full confidence in the leadership of the Madison Baptist Association and we are assured that they are handling this situation in the proper biblical way. Our position is that any church that allows staff members to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples has demonstrated that they are no longer in like-minded fellowship and friendly cooperation with Alabama Baptists and Southern Baptists.
“We have publicly stated that this position, concerning the biblical definition of marriage between one man and one woman, is a non-negotiable basic belief among the overwhelming majority of Southern Baptists.”
(TAB, Baptist Press)
Share with others: