Youth from Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth paint house in Nashville, Tenn.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) -- Fernia Harris of Nashville, Tenn., got a special surprise on her birthday July 8. A group of teenagers from Broadway Baptist Church in Forth Worth, Texas, volunteered three days to scrape and paint the exterior of the 1920s-era house where Harris and her husband live and care for their disabled daughter.

Harris might not know that her gift is a result of Broadway recently being rejected by the nation's largest Protestant denomination -- and Broadway's mission-tripping youth being rebuffed by a Kentucky Baptist college as a result.

Fran Patterson, youth minister at Broadway, said the Harrises don't know it yet, but a surprise celebration is also being planned for their 54th wedding anniversary coming up July 25.

"This very weekend the entire family is coming," Patterson said. When they arrive, family members will be greeted by a fresh coat of paint and freshly planted flowers, all compliments of a church group forced at the last minute to rearrange plans for a mission trip they had been looking forward to since February.

Four days before Broadway's Chapel Choir, as the youth choir is called, was scheduled to leave for a 12-day combined mission trip and concert tour, University of the Cumberlands, a Southern Baptist-affiliated school in Williamsburg, Ky., withdrew its invitation for the group to build houses for the needy in Appalachia.

Trey Robbins pauses for a cold drink.

The cancelation followed a June 23 vote by the SBC to sever its 125-year relationship with Broadway, after the church failed to convince denominational leaders it was in compliance with SBC membership requirements banning churches that affirm homosexuality.

The SBC Executive Committee had investigated reports that Broadway tolerated openly gay members -- publicized on blogs and in local and national media because of a dispute in the congregation about whether to allow same-sex couples to be photographed together in a church directory.

Patterson said the youth choir, which has been making similar summer mission trips for many years, was looking forward to taking part in a project building three houses with materials being donated through the university's Mountain Outreach program. 

"They were disappointed," Patterson said. She said the group talked about it the first night of their mission trip and agreed that they would not harbor any ill feelings toward the Southern Baptist Convention.

"It's not about Baptist politics," she said." It's about high-school kids wanting to build houses for people who need houses."

Lizzy Harris amuses friends painting together on front porch.

Patterson said she was disappointed both for the youth and for people in Eastern Kentucky who were expecting to move into new homes in the near future.

Patterson said she didn't know if the University of the Cumberlands would be able to find a replacement group to provide the labor, but she didn't believe they could do it in four days. University officials have declined to comment on the decision to withdraw the invitation to Broadway's youth group.

After receiving many offers and suggestions about last-minute alternate plans for the mission portion of the tour, Patterson said a friend of hers, Celia Whitler, a singer, songwriter, author and speaker in Franklin, Tenn., helped put her in touch with Mission Encounter, an independent ministry born out of the Church of the Nazarene that works with mission teams from multiple denominations.

Matt Seaton, Mission Encounter's assistant director of operations, said he was glad the Broadway group was able to salvage its mission trip. "We certainly appreciate the young people who want to spend their time to get out there in ministry," he said.

The choir planned to finish up and leave Nashville on Thursday, July 9. From there the group was headed for Washington, D.C., for some sightseeing and to sing in a church before returning home.

Harris said she was grateful for the days the Texas youth spent sprucing up her home in Nashville.

"They have been very respectful and very kind," she said. "The good Lord sent them."

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This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

Previous ABP stories:

Baptist school cancels mission trip for church dismissed from SBC

SBC messengers sever ties with Texas church over gay members

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