N.C. association expels church led by female pastor

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — Surry Baptist Association in North Carolina expelled Flat Rock Baptist Church, Mount Airy, from membership July 26, two weeks after its new female pastor started at the church.

The association of 65 churches reportedly voted “overwhelmingly” at a regularly scheduled meeting to disfellowship the church for calling Bailey Edwards Nelson as pastor. Messengers viewed the church’s action as violating scriptural guidelines that they believe reserve the role of pastor to males.

Nelson, 28, a graduate of Furman University and McAfee School of Theology, is the first female pastor in Surry County, which is in north central North Carolina. Her first Sunday at Flat Rock was July 10. The following week the church received a letter from the association’s membership committee citing “concerned pastors” and asking for a meeting to discuss “possible solutions” to the issue it said threatened the fellowship of the association.

Nelson said Flat Rock’s leadership knew no “solution” short of withdrawing her call as pastor would satisfy the membership committee, so it declined the meeting.

Billy Blakley, director of missions, said the church’s “refusal” to attend the meeting with the membership committee was mentioned at the associational meeting as evidence the church was unwilling to maintain fellowship. According to Baptist Women in Ministry statistics, Nelson is one of about 20 known female pastors or co-pastors of Baptist churches in North Carolina. (TAB)