American Baptist
group votes to secede from denomination over inclusion
of gays

The American Baptist Churches has joined the growing ranks of denominations facing fracture over the place of gays and lesbians within their faith. On Saturday, delegates from 300 churches in the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest voted to sever ties with the national denomination, citing ''deep differences of theological convictions and values.'' The 1.4 million-member American Baptist Churches USA is generally regarded as more theologically liberal than the larger Southern Baptist Convention. The denomination's governing board, however, has added language to the American Baptist statement of faith that calls homosexuality "incompatible with biblical teaching." And the board's failure to discipline congregations with liberal gay policies has angered conservative congregations and regions. The Pacific Southwest delegates' vote now goes to the region's board of directors, which recommended withdrawal from the national body in the first place. (Sirius OutQ News)