North Carolina megachurch exits Southern Baptist Convention after expulsions over women pastors

A major megachurch in North Carolina has decided to sever ties with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) shortly after the SBC expelled another large congregation for having women pastors. The North Carolina-based megachurch, known as Elevation, which attracts thousands of worshippers across multiple campuses and holds significant influence in contemporary Christian worship music, formally notified the SBC on June 26 of its withdrawal from the affiliation.

Although Elevation’s letter did not provide a specific reason for the decision, it is worth noting that Holly Furtick, the wife of Elevation Pastor Steven Furtick, delivers sermons to both men and women at Elevation and shares her sermons on her website.

In the Baptist Faith and Message, the SBC’s statement of faith, the pastoral office is stated to be limited to qualified men. Prominent leaders within the Southern Baptist community have emphasized the close connection between preaching and the role of a pastor.

Earlier in June, the SBC representatives, during their annual meeting, overwhelmingly voted to affirm the expulsion of two other churches, including Saddleback Church, a megachurch in Southern California founded by Rick Warren, and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Both churches had previously appealed against the SBC Executive Committee’s decision in February to remove them due to their inclusion of women pastors. Additionally, the SBC representatives also conducted a preliminary vote to amend the SBC constitution, proposing that participating churches should only have qualified men as pastors or elders.

The Elevation Church’s withdrawal letter, addressed to the Executive Committee and released by the SBC’s official news service, Baptist Press, stated an immediate withdrawal from the convention. Elevation asserted that its beliefs align closely with those of Southern Baptists and have no intention of changing.

Elevation and the Executive Committee have not yet responded to requests for comment from The Big Big News.

Established in 2006, Elevation Church, headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina, operates multiple campuses in the Charlotte area, North Carolina, neighboring states, and even Canada. According to the Outreach 100, an annual survey by Outreach magazine, the church had an average attendance of 26,000 worshippers per week in 2022, ranking seventh among Protestant churches, just behind Saddleback.

It is important to note a discrepancy between the average attendance figures provided by Elevation and the SBC’s internal records. According to the SBC, the church had an average attendance of 10,185 in 2021, the latest available data. This disparity may be attributed to differences in counting online worshippers following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elevation has also gained widespread influence through its extensive repertoire of worship music. Elevation Worship, affiliated with the church, has received six Dove Awards, including the prestigious “song of the year” award for “The Blessing.” During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, the song went viral with its reassuring lyrics sung by virtual choirs worldwide.

Scott Thumma, a well-known researcher on megachurches, suggests that Elevation’s decision is a response to the prevailing position of the SBC regarding Rick Warren’s appeal. Warren had argued that Baptists should be able to maintain cooperation on missions and evangelism while accepting disagreements on topics like women in ministry.

Thumma speculates that other churches may follow Elevation’s lead and depart from the SBC to make a similar statement rather than waiting to be expelled.

Despite experiencing a decline in membership over the past two decades, the SBC remains the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Statistics from Lifeway Research indicate that the denomination’s membership fell to 13.2 million in 2022, the lowest level since the late 1970s. Baptism rates have also been declining in the long term.

[Note: This text is a rewrite of the original text provided, aiming to maintain the key information while presenting it in a concise and coherent manner.]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Megachurch

More about Megachurch

• Southern Baptist Convention
• Elevation Church
• Saddleback Church
• Baptist Faith and Message
• Outreach 100 Survey
• Dove Awards