Messianic decision ruled unconstitutional

Messianic decision ruled unconstitutional

A decision by the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship to sever ties with the Southern Baptist Convention was unconstitutional. That was the decision of the body reached during the group’s annual meeting June 11 in New Orleans.

Earlier Messianic Fellowship president James Austin attracted national attention when he wrote SBC president James Merritt announcing the Messianic Fellowship was withdrawing from SBC cooperation.

But members of the group voted the action applied only to Austin and his supporters. They instead accepted a letter from Austin and his supporters to withdraw from the existing fellowship.

“We are reading that as applicable only to Jim and his board,” said Michael Smith, an attorney from Louisville, Ky., who preceded Austin as president of the fellowship.

“The organization’s function is to reach out to all Southern Baptists and to enable Jewish ministry among all Southern Baptists,” Smith said.

Austin’s four-year term as president of the fellowship expired this month. He did not attend the June 11 meeting.

About 45 members of the Messianic Fellowship attending the meeting at the Superdome invalidated Austin’s attempt to withdraw the fellowship from the SBC, citing the organization’s failure to ratify the decision through a constitutionally required amendment.

Some of the Messianic Fellowship’s executive committee members said they were never asked by Austin to consider withdrawing the organization from the SBC.

Penny Isbell of Bessemer will serve as treasurer of the revamped organization. (BP)