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GREENSBORO — Some were obviously angry, others were obviously pained, but delegates to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina overwhelmingly agreed Wednesday to strip or withhold funding from two more sacred cows.

Both the Baptist Retirement Homes and the Woman's Missionary Union, banner institutions, have sought to distance themselves from the authority of the convention of churches.

Listen to the Woman's Missionary Union debate and see more

The delegates, called messengers, responded during the final day of their annual meeting in Greensboro by cutting off future funding to the groups. A day earlier the convention voted to phase out financial support to its five remaining Baptist colleges over similar control issues.

Baptist homes for the elderly stand to lose at least $500,000, and the missionary group, which educates churches on mission work, would lose at least $400,000 just in free rent and staffing support at Baptist headquarters. Over the years, Baptists have given millions to both groups.

"We can't work together if we don't trust each other," messenger Phillip Addison from Stony Point Baptist Church in Stony Point said following a report from a study committee on the Baptist homes.

Baptist Retirement Homes has been at odds with the state's largest religious group since at least 2005, when the nonprofit began approving its own trustees. In previous years, the convention approved trustees for the nonprofit's board.

The report says the nonprofit didn't follow proper procedures for severing ties. Messengers agreed not to give the nonprofit any more money until it goes through the proper channels of "disengaging," which would include more discussions with the Baptist convention. An invitation during the discussion for someone from the nonprofit to speak went unanswered.

"I just have a real hard time voting to give to an agency that ... doesn't really need our money ... and it doesn't even seem they want our money," said Mark Howard of Kennebec Baptist Church in Angier .

During Wednesday's discussion there was a push to put the missionary group back in the budget at some giving level, if just for another year. The convention wants its executive director to have veto power over WMU employment decisions. The WMU has chosen to vacate the state convention offices instead of giving up that autonomy.

Some messengers questioned if the membership of the 120-year-old WMU agreed with the decision.

"I'm afraid this board has made a wrong decision that does not include the heart and the feet of women in our churches," said Jeff Dawkins, pastor of Jewel Baptist Church in High Point .

Others spoke of the divisions the move had caused in their congregations.

"I think there's a lot of misinformation in that people feel we are leaving the convention," said Donice Harrod of First Baptist Church in Wilmington . "We are not leaving the convention ... we just want to elect our own staff."

Wendy Case of Spencer Baptist Church in Spindale also appealed the loss of funding. The convention did agree to "endorse" the group if it decides to hold a special offering on its own.

"We must think about the bottom line — missions education is critical to North Carolina," Case said. "Why would (the convention) not want us to continue doing that? Our purpose will not change."

Convention leaders said they would continue to look at other partnerships to help the elderly and shore up its missions education. In light of the changing relationships with these groups, its members are calling for new ways to do that, the leaders said.

Contact Nancy H. McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nmclaughlin @news-record.com