PIKEVILLE—Messengers to the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Pikeville distanced its churches from congregations that also support the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Acting on a recommendation from its Committee on Credentials, messengers adopted a motion Nov. 13 that churches that make financial contributions to the CBF are “no longer considered to be in cooperation” with the state convention.

The motion passed by a majority after a move to postpone it indefinitely failed.

Last year at the KBC annual meeting, a motion made from the floor, was referred to the credentials committee, which since has worked on the motion that was considered by convention messengers. The KBC Mission Board had endorsed the motion in May.

At the time, the KBC Committee on Credentials referenced an article in the KBC Constitution which indicates “churches which act to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior” are to be deemed “not to be in cooperation with the Convention.”

“Churches that contribute to a missions network that is approving of homosexual behavior give appearance of approving of such behavior,” committee members stated.

Last February, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s governing board changed the organization’s hiring policies to open employment for a host of CBF positions to LGBTQ persons. Churches that are dually aligned with KBC and CBF are “now supporting an LGBTQ affirming network and funding the employment of LGBTQ persons,” the committee told members of the Mission Board.

Committee members and KBC staff members have reached out to every KBC church listed by the CBF as a partnering church to be sure they were aware of the CBF’s new hiring policy and see if they plan to continue providing financial support to the Fellowship.

The move affects about 25 KBC-affiliated churches that have given financial support to KBC in the past two years and are currently supporting the CBF financially. (WR)