Cumberland First Baptist is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA (ABC), which Watkins describes as being “on the moderately progressive side” among mainline Protestant denominations. In the early 2000s, Cumberland First Baptist was “on the bubble” because of its move toward becoming an open and affirming congregation. Some affiliated churches viewed it with suspicion, and its openness on LGBTQ issues motivated two congregations to disassociate from the ABC region that it belongs to. Since then, Watkins says, the region has achieved a certain peace on the issue. Mostly, “no one talks about it.”
Even so, the trend is moving in the opposite direction nationally. The re-emergence of LGBTQ issues as a divisive force in U.S. politics—and within denominations—comes as something of a surprise, given the dramatic shifts in public opinion over the past two decades.