ABC Region withdraws from Covenant

artjaggard · Apr 29, 2006

This just in from the Pacific SW.

Churches Vote on Denominational Relationship

Delegates from the congregations of the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest (ABCPSW) voted 1125 "yes" to 209 "no" in support of a recommendation to withdraw from the Covenant of relationships with the American Baptist Churches, USA. Delegates, meeting in seven locations in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii, were voting on the question, "Should the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest withdraw from the Covenant of Relationships and Agreements with the American Baptist Churches, USA, as recommended by the Board of Directors of the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest?" This vote by the delegates will be referred to a meeting of the ABCPSW Board of Directors for action on May 11.

The Board of Directors, stating that "deep differences of theological convictions and values between the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest (ABCPSW) and the American Baptist Churches in the USA (ABCUSA) are understood by the Board of Directors of the ABCPSW as irreconcilable," had recommended withdrawal from its covenant relationship with the ABCUSA. While the Board had authority on its own to withdraw from the national denomination, it called for a special meeting of delegates from churches "to provide the Board with the guidance and input it needs to make a responsible and informed decision."

The main location of the meeting was First Baptist Church, Pomona, California, from which the meeting was chaired by Region President, Brian Scrivens. Connecting to the main site by telephone, amplified through public address systems were satellite sites in San Diego and San Luis Obispo in California, Phoenix and Polacca in Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Honolulu, Hawaii.
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Most ABC churches are moderately conservative. There is an increasing number that are unwilling to have liberal (affirming the practice of homosexuality) agendas drive the denomination.

The process of change will take years, as it did for at least one other denomination. But the process is well under way.

Please keep your American Baptist brothers and sisters in prayer.

Art Jaggard

tinytim · Apr 29, 2006

Thank you Art, and welcome aboard...
I am a Pastor of a ABC church in the WVBC.
I under stand that the ABC churches in Kansas are also conservative.

We need to stand together and defeat Satan.
It's time we fight back and not turn over our Denomination to the Homosexuals..

If all conservative regions leave, then that would be the effect.... a Gay denomination.

I too ask that you keep us ABCs in your prayers.

artjaggard · Apr 30, 2006

Hello TinyTim!
It's good to hear from you. What is going on in WVBC? I just saw this post on beaconchurches.net:

The following is from URL:

http://216.30.200.250/Working%20Group/Working%20Group%20Report.pdf

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Report of the Working Group -- April 1, 2006

Submitted by Richard McClure, Chair

1. Throughout the first three meetings of the Working Group it has become abundantly clear that many in our denomination share a love for God and for His mission to reach people and to disciple them. This we hold in common. This has been the report of members of the Working Group as we have opened communication with leaders in denomination agencies, institutions and regions.

2. Each time this Working Group meets--monthly in January, February and March—we become aware of ongoing change in our denomination. An announcement was made last month that the Valley Forge property was to be listed for sale. The group of Regional Executive Ministers that met at Parchment Valley in September has continued to grow. Individual churches are still acting and reacting to information that they have received.

3. Working Group members remain in dialogue with people inside and outside our region to grasp the enormity of that we choose to call relationship. For some, the ABC is family and decades of close ties with brothers and sisters in Christ are still as vibrant as they ever have been. Others see the ABC as an organization which exists to facilitate missions and other core values of her people. There is confusion even at the basic level of understanding the nature of a denomination. Documents such as The Covenant of Relationships and the Budget Covenant can’t quite express in writing how the emotion, the devotion, the trust, and the willingness of individuals, churches, associations, and regions will be expressed. Put simply, we are part of a complex relationship. Untangling strands that are both organic and organizational is not easy.

4. Individual members of the Working Group are in touch with the people who can help us understand how we are related to one another. Each month, the Working Group reports recent communication, shares newly located documents, and determines the next step in the discovery of information. Each member of the Working Group brings a wealth of understanding and experience to the table. Their insight will be helpful as the Executive Committee and the Executive Board process the data.

5. The Working Group is responsible to report to the Executive Committee and the Executive Board throughout 2006. Members of the Working Group have suggested that presentations in each of our region’s four areas be made by late summer as a prelude to the Annual Meeting. These meetings would be helpful to individuals, churches and associations needing to know the result of our fact finding and might possibly relieve the agenda of the Annual Meeting. The Executive Committee agreed. Those meetings dates and places will be announced later. Again, the Working Group exists not to bring recommendation, but to bring facts so that informed decisions might be made.

6. The Working Group is indebted to Emmanuel Baptist Church of Charleston for their generosity in providing both a space to meet and a meal. The next meeting of the Working Group will be April 7.
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Art Jaggard

tinytim · Apr 30, 2006

Since we voted to not sever our relationship with the ABC-USA, We chose to appoint a working group (a fact-finding team) to explore options and to get a better understanding of the whole issue. The Group is to report to us at our annual meeting in October on what they found.

I really don't know more than that.
But I do know that we have been working with other regions on different options.

My Opinion is that we should fight for what is right, and not run away from the fight.

ABC Region withdraws from Covenant

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ABC Region withdraws from Covenant

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