ECC votes to remove Minneapolis church, pastor over LGBTQ stance
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis church and its pastor have been removed from the register of Evangelical Covenant Churches after a vote Friday, church officials report.
In Facebook posts, the church writes the measures to remove the First Covenant Church and Pastor Dan Collison were approved with 75 percent margins each during an annual meeting.
Collison told FOX 9 the church has had issues with the ECC over the years, but the disagreements came to a head in 2018 when First Covenant put out a "Love All" statement.
The statement welcomed members of the LGBTQ community to join the church, including holding leadership roles. A month after that message, the church and Collison were put on notice. The vote Friday made the removal official.
But, despite the vote, not much will change from the church.
In a statement, First Covenant says, "We are deeply grieved as we find ourselves cast out by a denomination that has historically been able to hold differences and find a middle way. We will continue to serve and fully embrace anyone who walks through our doors. The community of First Covenant Church Minneapolis owns the name and building, and our journey continues in love. All are welcome here."
So, the church will stay the same, officials say, and Collison will continue to serve as lead pastor for First Covenant.