Two more churches withdraw from TBA

By Rose Hooper and Lynn Hotaling

Members of First Baptist Church, the association's largest financial contributor, voted 63-7 to withdraw from the association. The action came Sept. 8 during the church's regular Sunday evening service.

"That's a 90 percent vote," said the Rev. Wayne Hill, the church's pastor.

Two weeks earlier, Tuckasegee Baptist Church withdrew from the association, said Pastor Larry Perry.

"The decision was unanimous," Perry said of the vote that came during his church's regular monthly business meeting.

Action at the two churches followed that of Cullowhee Baptist, the first to withdraw. Cullowhee, the oldest church in the association, reached its decision Aug. 4 by a majority vote.

East Sylva Baptist will vote Sept. 22 on whether to withdraw from the association.

The recent withdrawals stem from a controversy that arose after Cullowhee called a husband-and-wife team, Jeffrey and Tonya Vickery, as co-pastors in January. Since then, the church has been under pressure from the TBA for having a woman in the pulpit.

In July the TBA executive committee confirmed the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, which maintains that women cannot serve as pastors.

"While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men by scripture," states Article VI of the document.

Much of the controversy stems from the association trying to take freedom away from individual churches, said the Rev. Charles Dean, pastor of East Sylva.

"The TBA wants to tell us who can pastor and who can't, what translation of the Bible we can use and what we can't, and how we are to practice. We no longer have the freedom to choose," said Dean, who objects to the TBA's actions.

Leaders from the three withdrawing churches all agree they feel positive about their actions. Prayer has certainly increased, they say.

"Our congregation did not make its decision lightly. It came after lots of prayer. The congregation felt withdrawing was the route for us to take and, in addition to praying, they did a wonderful job of open, honest discussion about the issues before us," said Hill.

"There was a lot of sadness and sorrow about the issues, but I think now, since withdrawing, the feeling is relief - we can pull away from this distraction and move forward," Hill continued.

Echoing that sentiment, Jeffrey Vickery said, "Our church felt withdrawing was a positive step forward to remove conflict."

Much of Tuckasegee Baptist's reason for withdrawal was to disassociate itself from "all the argument and fussing," Perry said. "We have a lot more things to focus on.

"We felt with all the confusion that seems to be with the TBA now, we could do better outside the association," Perry said. "I think we can better serve our community without being in the association."

The three withdrawing churches will still "have fellowship" with other churches in the Tuckaseigee Baptist Association, their ministers say.

Back to Archive: 09/12/02.