Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 10, 1991 TAG: 9103100221
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium
"It's a fellowship of Southern Baptists who have been disenfranchised," said the Rev. Kenneth Chaffin of Louisville, Ky.
The Baptist Fellowship was not not meant to be a new denomination and will operate within the Southern Baptist Convention, but leaders said the question of creating a new denomination remained open.
"That could happen, but that's not what we're about," said the Rev. Daniel Vestal, of suburban Atlanta and chairman of the group's steering committee.
The committee was formed in August during an Atlanta meeting of more than 2,000 Baptists dissatisfied with leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention, which has 14.9 million members.
It adopted a constitution and bylaws and agreed to incorporate. Its actions must be approved at the group's May convocation in Atlanta. Committee officials expect about 10,000 Baptists to attend.
Some moderates first indicated a desire to split with the Southern Baptist Convention last year after another in a string of moderate candidates lost a bid for the convention's presidency.
In October, the group established an alternative missions fund, to which about 125 churches have contributed about $1 million.
Moderates said losing the presidency was only part of the reason they decided to set up the new organization.
Fundamentalists, or conservatives, insist the scriptures be interpreted literally, while moderates believe portions of the Bible are written figuratively.
Conservatives, who believe the Bible is infallible and say those who disagree are not true Christians, have gained increasing control of the Southern Baptist Convention over the past 12 years.
Moderates, who advocate local church autonomy and a greater role for women and minorities, say the conservatives have run the convention with an iron fist.
by CNB