The megachurch of charismatic preacher Steven Furtick has withdrawn from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
The church notified the denomination in a letter dated June 26 that has since been shared on social media.
The letter was signed by Chunks Corbett, Chief Financial Officer of the megachurch, who said that Elevation had no intention of making a public statement about its withdrawal from the SBC.
"This letter is to inform you that Elevation Church is withdrawing its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention effective immediately," he wrote.
"You will find that our Statement of Beliefs on our website is very much in line with the Baptist Faith and Message — we have no intention of changing those core beliefs."
The letter stated the intention of Elevation to continue praying for the SBC and working alongside SBC churches.
"Please know that our withdrawal from affiliation in no way means that we will withdraw from praying for you and your ministries and mission work in the future - we are all on the same side!" the letter continued.
No reason was given for the decision but the letter was written not long after the SBC voted at its annual meeting in New Orleans to ban women from serving as a "pastor of any kind".
Elevation Church is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has around 10,000 members. It is known for the music it produces through its worship collective, called Elevation Worship.
Prior to its withdrawal, it had been affiliated with the SBC for around 20 years.
Denny Burke, professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, a Southern Baptist educational institution, tweeted in response to the news: "Reading between the lines here, I suspect that this is a consequence of the clarity from messengers at the New Orleans convention."
