Baptists Stand By Fired Atlanta Fire Chief

In a press release Jan. 7, the 1.3 million-member Georgia Baptist Convention protested the recent firing of Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran for writing a religious book deemed intolerant toward gays.

Earlier, the 3,600-church state affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention objected to the chief’s 30-day suspension during an investigation into whether publication of a book he wrote for the men’s ministry at his Southern Baptist church compromised Cochran’s ability to manage a diverse 750-member workforce in one of the nation’s most LGBT-friendly cities.