LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Joe Webb) -- The same sex battle is not limited to tri-state courts.
A church's stand on same sex marriage got it kicked out of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. By a huge margin, the convention voted to part ways with Crescent Hill Baptist. The congregation in Louisville supports inclusion and gay marriage. The Maverick pastor who grew up in northern Kentucky is speaking out.
Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville may look like a person's grandparents' Baptist Church but it's not. In 2013 the congregation of 800 voted to include lesbians, bisexuals, and gay men as members, on staff and eligible for baptisms and weddings. Pastor Jason Crosby, a Dixie Heights grad from Crescent Springs, said the vote came after months of discussion, study, and prayer.
"When we look at the Bible, what we see is it's not nearly as clear as some make it out to be that marriage is defined in a particular way or that homosexuality is condemned," Crosby said.
That position got Crescent Hill sideways with the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Tuesday, Nov. 11, they overwhelmingly voted the church out of the organization. Crosby said the church asked to stay as part of the convention. The ouster was no surprise.
Reverend Crosby is no stranger to southern Baptist tradition. He grew up in it. His father and grandfather were both southern Baptist preachers. Crosby said the direction Crescent Hill Baptist was taking was a natural path for him. He said its the application of the gospel of love and inclusion he heard growing up in Sunday school and church at Erlanger Baptist.
"We took those teachings seriously
