By Caitlyn Meisner | cmeisner@alextimes.com
First Baptist Church of Alexandria was expelled from the Southern Baptist Convention on June 11 at its annual meeting in Indianapolis for not being in “friendly cooperation” with the Convention for employing an associate female pastor.
To be in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC means to follow the rules laid out by the Convention. First Baptist was found to no longer be in friendly cooperation, meaning a rule was violated. The church was kicked out without any consequences.
The motion to expel the church came from Aaron Decker, a Wisconsin representative of a church at the annual meeting, also called a messenger. Decker – who did not respond to a request for comment – said in his motion that First Baptist was not in alignment with the Convention’s view of egalitarianism, the doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
“While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,” the SBC’s Baptist Faith and Message states under Article VI about the church.
Decker filed the motion with the SBC’s Credentials Committee, a volunteer panel of the Convention that is “tasked to consider questions that arise concerning whether a church is in ‘friendly cooperation’ with the Convention as described in the SBC Constitution, Article III,” according to the website. The committee did not respond to requests for comment.
The Credentials Committee cannot itself expel a church, and cannot exercise authority over it: that task is left to the messengers present at the conventions that are held, which is what occurred in this case. When held to a ballot vote, 6,759 voted to expel First Baptist, while 563 voted to keep the church in the Convention.
First Baptist Church can no longer send messengers to annual business meetings with the SBC or vote at the meetings, though members of the church can still attend the meetings. First Baptist also cannot receive educational assistance from the SBC for its members who want to attend seminary school nor will the SBC accept money from First Baptist.
The Washington Times reported in May that Pastor for Children and Women, Kim Eskridge, has held the title for nearly 20 years. She did not respond to requests for comment.
“FBCA is done saying anything about the SBC,” Molly Howe, First Baptist’s communications director, said in an email response to an Alexandria Times request for comment. “When everyone returned from Indianapolis, our work returned to ministry and normal church activities. We have put the SBC vote and convention behind us. Pastor [Robert] Stephens has been in normal meetings, sermon preparation, et cetera and Pastor Eskridge is in the final prep for Children’s Camp next week. There’s really nothing for us to add at this point.”
Pastor Stephens spoke at the Convention for the church, arguing the church should remain in the SBC.
“For 44 years we have continued our partnership with this Convention, engaging in Kingdom work while having females as pastor,” Stephens said. “Our presence clearly demonstrates our shared commitment to prioritizing cooperation for the work of the Kingdom and the glory of God, which has been successful.”
Stephens also did not respond to requests for comment.
In November 2022, a senior pastor at nearby Arlington Baptist Church asked SBC officials and pastors to sign a letter urging for a change in the Convention’s constitution to prohibit women from holding the title of pastor.
In June 2023, at the annual meeting in New Orleans, Stephens posted a video message on First Baptist’s website about the amendment.
“This amendment, therefore, calls into question the relationship between First Baptist Church of Alexandria and the SBC,” Stephens said. “… I am confident – and I believe on the basis of Scripture – that there is nothing in our staff structure, our church polity or the way in which we worship, function and serve as a church that is contrary to the teaching of God’s word.”