In 1998 The Georgia Baptist Convention amended Article II Section I of
its constitution by adding a sentence. It now reads:
- This body shall be composed of messengers from cooperating Baptist churches. A
cooperating church is one that is in harmony and cooperation with the work and purpose of
this Convention. A cooperating church does not include a church which knowingly takes,
or has taken, any action to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior.
In March of 1999, our pastor, Lanny Peters received a letter from Robert White,
Executive Director of the Georgia Baptist Convention, reminding our church of the decision
by the convention to remove from its rolls churches who knowingly allow gay and lesbian
Christians to be full, active church members. A meeting for response was requested.
The church discussed the letter during two Wednesday evening meetings in April and decided
to form a task force charged to develop a written response to the convention. This
response was adopted by the church in June and sent to Robert White. (Click here to read the response to the Executive
Committee.)
Oakhurst's response was read to the Executive Committee in its September meeting. After
considering the response, the Committee voted to recommend to the full convention at its
meeting in November, that Oakhurst Baptist Church no longer be allowed membership in the
Georgia Baptist Convention. (Click
here to read the story in The Atlanta Journal and Constitution.)
The Georgia Baptist Convention met in Macon on November 16, 1999. Before the time
for motions, Robert White addressed the convention at length, preaching on homosexuality
and effectively speaking to the motion before it was made, which is against
Robert's Rules of Order. After the motion to exclude our church was made, Lanny was
allowed three minutes to address the convention in which he presented a statement on
behalf of the members of Oakhurst Baptist Church. Lanny's statement was followed by
a discussion which was limited to only one statement for and one against. Afterward, the
convention voted 2,086 to 262 to "withdraw fellowship" from Oakhurst Baptist
Church. (Click here to read Oakhurst's statement to
the convention.)
One of the accusations made against our church by convention leaders was that we
"...do not value the Holy Scriptures as a great majority of Southern Baptists
do." Lanny Peters refutes this statement in an article printed the The Atlanta
Journal and Constitution. (Click here to
read Lanny's article.)
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