The Seattle megachurch’s move to disaffiliate from the denomination comes as the ECC was prepared to vote this summer on expelling Quest and Awaken Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, over the churches' stance on sexuality.
More than 12,000 local church representatives, known as messengers, will gather in New Orleans, ready to do their denomination's business.
The case alleged conflict of interest at Mark MacArthur’s investment advisory firm.
The struggle broke into the open last week when ACNA’s archbishop accused his denomination’s highest court of attempting to stop an investigation into charges against Ruch.
Delegates also affirmed that elders can only be men.
The church said a lack of checks and balances created the opportunity.
The two candidates for SBC president hold many of the same beliefs but disagree sharply over how to handle the issue of sexual abuse and over the direction of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
Mike Baker’s son Caleb was formerly an associate pastor at the church.
The allegations of past incidents came up after a staff member was arrested recently for sex crimes.
Warren argues that the debate is far larger than what might happen to the church he founded.