Southern Baptist Convention to Separate From DC Arm
A little-known, but highly symbolic religious relationship in the United States is about to come to an end. The Southern Baptist Convention, one of the most active missionary organizations in the world and, with 16 million members, the largest Protestant denomination in America, has announced it intends to sever its ties with the Baptist Convention of Washington, D.C.
The decision is significant, because for 125 years, the D.C. Baptist Convention has been a bridge between conservative Southern Baptists and their moderate counterparts, the "American Baptists".
The split between conservative and moderate Baptists may be permanent.
In the Baptist faith, a "convention" is a bit like a club. It's a voluntary association of individual Baptist churches that have come together to pool their financial and educational resources. Each church in a convention remains completely autonomous and is free,...