6/86 At the biennial meeting in Pittsburgh, a short-lived group, "Professional Church Leaders Concerned" is formed by Howard Moody, David Bartlett, Edwina Hunter and others to raise gay and lesbian concerns within the denomination and in solidarity with ABConcerned.
6/91 A meeting is held at the Charleston Biennial, moderated by Michael Easterling, pastor of Madison Ave. Baptist Church, NY, with the purpose of establishing a network of ABC/USA churches that are open to and affirming of lesbian, gay and bisexual. More than 50 persons are in attendance. Because it already had a funding base and a method of information distribution, ABC'd was authorized to organize this network utilizing the principle of association and to begin soliciting memberships.
The delegates to the ABC/USA Biennial meeting approve both an anti-gay Statement of Concern and one asking for a study on human sexuality.
8/91 The steering committee of ABConcerned develops membership procedures for an association of churches (and individuals) as a public category of membership in ABConcerned.
1/92 University Baptist Church, Minneapolis MN, calls Nadean Bishop as the first open lesbian to be called to an ABC church.
3/92 Pullen Memorial Baptist Church ABC/SBC, Raleigh NC, votes to bless same-sex unions. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church ABC/SBC, Chapel Hill, NC, grants a pre-ordination license to John Blevins, who is openly gay.
6/92 ABConcerned membership approves the association structure and membership categories, and proposes and approves the name "The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists."
Membership application materials are sent to churches.
The General Board of ABC/USA narrowly defeats the anti-gay resolution proposed by the West Virginia Convention.
9/92 Nine churches and several individuals are voted into membership in the Association. The first listing of W&A Congregations is published in the Fall 1992 issue of the Voice of the Turtle.
10/92 The General Board of ABC/USA passes an anti-gay resolution through a never-before-used referendum process using mail ballot without discussion. The resolution states: "We affirm that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching."
2/93 The Steering Committee of ABConcerned appoints Brenda Moulton as the first Association Coordinator. By-laws are drafted for the Association that would establish the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists and remove Association memberships as a category of membership in ABConcerned.
3/93 Representatives from several Welcoming & Affirming Congregations join the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
6/93 The General Board of the ABC/USA votes in favor of a "Resolution Calling for Dialogue on Issues of Human Sexuality."
The first meeting of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists is held at the ABC/USA biennial meeting in San Jose' California. An interim council is appointed to further refine the bylaws and conduct Association business until the Syracuse Biennial in 1995. Twenty churches, three groups and many individuals are charter members of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists.
9/93 The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists is represented in Cleveland, Ohio, at the first national meeting of leaders of denominational gay/lesbian caucuses and affirming groups, held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Council of Churches of Christ.
2/94 The interim council of the Association meets with the steering committee of ABConcerned to clarify the purposes of the two organization and to finalize details of the organizational and financial separation begun in June 1993.
3/94 Mark Crosby, an openly gay pastoral counselor, is denied ecclesiastical endorsement by the Committee on chaplaincy and Pastoral Counselors, ABC/USA. Dr. Crosby appeals this decision.
5/94 W&A Congregations are contacted and challenged to retract their affirming stance toward homosexuals. W&A Churches within the ABC of the West are threatened with disfellowshipping.
7/94 Educational Ministries withdraws a pastor's invitation to serve on staff of VENTURE based solely on presumed sexual orientation. The General Board resolution is cited as the reason for this action.
8/94 A Process is begun in the Columbus Baptist Association to disfellowship the First Baptist Church of Granville, Ohio, because it is Welcoming & Affirming.
9/94 The Ordination Standards Committee of the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest revokes the ordination standing of Susan Vanderburgh, a lesbian pastoral counselor. The ordaining church later votes to rescind her ordination and her ABC/USA endorsement as a pastoral counselor is withdrawn.
12/94 The Ordination Commission of the American Baptist Churches of the West votes not to affirm the recommendation of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church (W&A) to ordain Randle (Rick) Mixon, who is openly gay. This was Dr. Mixon's third attempt over a 20 year period to be ordained to the Christian Ministry within the ABC/USA.
Mark Crosby's endorsement status is "frozen" by Aidsand F. Wright-Riggens, Executive Director of National Ministries, until the General Board of the ABC/USA clarifies its position. Dialogue forums seeking common ground on the issue of homosexuality are recommended until 12/97 when the Resolution on Homosexuality comes up for review.
1/95 Columbus Baptist Association passes a resolution on Homosexuality and condemns FBC Granville for its "Welcoming & Affirming" policy. Emmanuel Baptist in Albany NY is threatened with disfellowshipping because it is W&A.
The first regional "Common Ground Conference" is held for ABC pastors in Rhode Island. Two of the participants are openly gay pastors of ABCORI churches.
6/95 Granville Baptist Church is "disfellowshipped" from the Columbus Baptist Association.
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