NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- In September, messengers to the annual meeting of the Nashville Baptist Association will consider action to withdraw fellowship from a church that has hired a lesbian minister.

A Baptist Press report cited an article in the Jan. 26 issue of The Tennessean showing Glendale Baptist Church had employed April Baker, a lesbian, as an associate pastor with responsibilities related primarily to children and families.

During a Feb. 17 NBA Executive Board meeting, members approved continued prayer for Glendale, but said that should it not change its decision to employ Baker by Sept. 15, it recommends the church be removed from fellowship.

Prior to the board meeting, three representatives of NBA met with Glendale Pastor Mark Caldwell and other leaders from the church, to verify the accuracy of The Tennessean story. The Glendale group said the story was true, said Jim Freedman, NBA director of missions.

Freedman, who was not present at the Glendale meeting, said the church's leadership told the NBA representatives they were not endorsing a homosexual lifestyle by hiring Baker, but that out of the candidates they interviewed, she was the best suited for the position.

According to the Constitution of the Nashville Baptist Association, the association can "withdraw affiliation from any church which (1) persists in doctrinal practices out of harmony with the Baptist Faith and Message, (2) fails to be represented either by letter or messenger for two successive years, or (3) notifies the association of its desire to withdraw."

The action to withdraw fellowship requires a two-thirds majority of the messengers present during an annual meeting, according to the NBA Constitution.