Elevation Church withdraws from Southern Baptist Convention
Elevation Church, a megachurch based in Charlotte, is withdrawing from the Southern Baptist Convention.
In a letter addressed to the SBC, Elevation leadership said they are withdrawing their affiliation effective immediately.
The church said it has no plans to change its core beliefs, which they say line up with the Baptist faith and message.
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Leaders said they won’t be making an announcement on the decision, outside of the letter.
“We pray that we will continue to be able to work alongside many SBC churches in the coming years. We know there is much we can do more effectively in partnership than we can do alone,” the letter concludes. “May God bless the SBC and her churches in the years ahead.”
The letter did not explain the reason why church leadership made the move.
The Southern Baptist Convention made waves recently over a decision to only appoint men as pastors or elders. The convention also voted to oust some of its member churches that have women as part of their leadership staff. The churches included one of the denomination’s largest and most famous — Saddleback Church in California, with a membership of 23,000, that was founded by Rick Warren, author of the bestselling book “The Purpose Driven Life.”
The Cox Media Group National Content Desk contributed to this report.
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