CONYERS, Ga. — A Baptist church in Rockdale County is ending its relationship with the Boy Scouts in response to a new national Boy Scout policy that allows gay troop leaders.
Channel 2's Berndt Petersen talked to some Scout parents who are upset with the church's decision.
Executive Pastor Craig Beall says some of the troop's leaders and many of the Scouts attend First Baptist Church of Conyers. According to a contract, the decision was actually agreed to more than two years ago.
For the last 10 years, Boy Scout Troop 973 has operated out of a cedar cabin owned by First Baptist Church of Conyers.
But some affiliated with the Scouts say they've been evicted.
"We view the Boy Scouts as a full partner. We're in a signed contract partnership with them," Beall tells Petersen.
But Beall says that partnership is over.
The Boy Scouts of America's national executive board recently decided to allow gay troop leaders, which the pastor says does not square with the church's beliefs on marriage.
Parents of some of the Scouts did not want to get in front of the camera, but tell Petersen the troop did a lot of work on the Scout hut and cleaned up the grounds.
Beall says when the national organization decided to allow homosexual Scouts back in 2013, the church amended its charter with Troop 973.
"But we did put in there that if the national Boy Scouts did allow homosexual leaders, that we would discontinue our troop. Which, we simply acted on a decision we made a little over two years ago," Beall says.
The pastor says the troop has to move out by Oct. 1.
He says a local Methodist church has agreed to provide them some space.