December 18, 2000
Another Waco Baptist church
terminates affiliation with SBC
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___WACO--Lake Shore Baptist Church in Waco has become the third Texas Baptist church to sever ties with the Southern Baptist Convention in recent weeks.
___The congregation voted 91-1 to amend its constitution to remove references to the SBC, said Pastor Brett Younger.
___The Dec. 6 vote followed four Wednesday evening town hall meetings on Baptist heritage.
___The Lake Shore vote took place on the same night Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas voted to end its relationship with the SBC. In November, Seventh & James Baptist Church in Waco took similar action.
___"The question concerning affiliation came up every year when the SBC met and we ended up wondering why we were still in it," Younger explained. "We disagree with the SBC on the equality of women, the separation of church and state, the importance of social ministry and the need for ecumenical cooperation.
___"Our church is open, accepting, loving and inclusive. Increasingly, that isn't the way most people describe Southern Baptists."
___During the earlier Wednesday night discussions on Baptist heritage, Lake Shore members gave several common reasons for wanting to break ties with the SBC, Younger said.
___These included embarrassment at the image projected by the SBC and the actions the convention has taken, recent changes in the Baptist Faith & Message, a desire to be a positive contributor to a like-minded Baptist group, commitment to gender equality, the SBC's perceived "intolerance" of different views and a desire to demonstrate integrity in affiliations.
___ "The consensus feeling was grief at what the SBC has become and appreciation for the best parts of the Baptist tradition," Younger explained. "It was clear that those with the deepest Baptist roots had the strongest desire to separate from the SBC. It doesn't feel like we left the SBC so much as that we recognized they left us long ago.
___"We would rather support groups that reflect our values than define ourselves in opposition to a group that doesn't fit who we are."
___Lake Shore will continue to identify with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Waco Baptist Association, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists.
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!