As en went to press, evangelicals and other conservatives had won an important vote in the Norwegian Baptist Union.
131 of the 179 votes cast supported a submission made by the board saying that the annual meeting emphasises ‘the lifelong marriage between one man and one woman’ as the biblical form of cohabitation. This confirms a statement made by the annual meeting in the year 2000 saying that living together in same-sex relationships is not compatible with holding leadership positions in The Baptist Union churches.
The connservative network Veien Videre (The Road Ahead) had previously threatened to leave the union because a church in Bærum in 2018 elected a lesbian woman in a same-sex marriage as a member of the local church council.
Veien Videre spokesman Magnar Mæland said he was satisfied with the outcome of the new marriage poll.
‘What has happened shows that our analysis has been right,’ he declared. 'The Baptist Union has a moderately conservative grass root and the annual meeting clearly shows that what we may call "the tolerant group" is a minority. Their proposals have fallen, and the vote pattern is pretty clear', Mæland said to Christian news agency Kristelig Pressekontor (KPK).
The lesbian elder at Bærum Baptist Church, just outside Oslo, was legally married and was elected as part of the church council in the Autumn of 2018. However, this was contrary to the Baptist Union rules and guidelines, which do not allow people who are in gay relationships to hold such positions.
The outcome of the annual meeting may have made it less likely the Veien Videre network will leave the Baptist Union.
In another orthodox win, union board chairman Jon Vestøl was replaced by Sissel-Merete Uv Berg. She is considered a more conservative leader and was elected by a 145 majority of the 169 votes cast.
