Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
- Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB) is a group consisting of Baptist individuals, organizations, and congregations that are committed to advocating and encouraging the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons in the lives and ministries of Baptist churches. It is one of many LGBT-welcoming church movements to emerge in American Christianity in the 1980s.
AWAB was established by about ten congregations in 1993 during that year's ABCUSA Biennial in San Jose, California. It grew out of a group called " [http://www.rainbowbaptists.org/ambaptists.htm American Baptists Concerned for Sexual Minorities] ", which was founded in 1972 and which merged with AWAB in 2003. As of October 2006 AWAB had about 64 member congregations. About 90% of these congregations are affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA; nearly half are affiliated with the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, roughly 35% with the Alliance of Baptists, and nearly a quarter with the United Church of Christ. Informal partners of AWAB include the Roger Williams Fellowship, the Coalition for Baptist Principles, and Baptists without Borders. In addition to the member congregations and informal partner organizations, AWAB has at least four local chapters, 6 member organizations, and hundreds of individual members in all parts of the United States. Beyond Baptist circles, AWAB cooperates ecumenically with welcoming and affirming organizations in other Christian denominations and faith traditions.
AWAB publishes a quarterly newsletter, "The InSpiriter", as well as an online journal "The Voice of the Turtle" and an email newsletter, "Associational".
As of October, 2006, the national director of AWAB is Rev. Ken Pennings, with offices at First Baptist Church of Madison, Wisconsin.
The Welcoming and Affirming Baptists have also been a highly controversial group within the life of the ABCUSA. It is believed by many that the development of the organization has contributed to a loss of financial support within the life of the denomination and has also contributed to the decision by ABCUSA affiliated regions and churches to dissociate from fellowship. Given the volatility of the group, many ecclesiastical leaders are of the opinion that Baptists would be enriched by this group's decision to disincorporate.
ee also
* Pullen Memorial Baptist Church
External links
* [http://wabaptists.org/ AWAB website]
* [http://www.rainbowbaptists.org/ Rainbow Baptists] , an AWAB outreach
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