A report from a study committee said the time has come "to politely withdraw from an organization that, at least for us, no longer efficiently communicates to the unsaved a crystal clear gospel message that our Lord Jesus Christ is solely sufficient for salvation."
The Rev. Denton Lotz, general secretary of the Falls Church, Va.-based alliance, said the 62-10 vote saddened his organization and the description of its biblical stance was "a misrepresentation of the truth."
The Executive Committee's recommendation will be considered at the annual meeting of the denomination in June. If approved, an official 99-year-old relationship between the two Baptist bodies would come to an end Oct. 1.
"It's a schism and a schism against love," said Lotz.
The move would unlock the longtime link between the nation's largest Protestant denomination and 210 other Baptist conventions across the globe.
Last June, Southern Baptists voted to reduce annual funding of the alliance from $425,000 to $300,000. Lotz said "thousands of individuals and churches are already making up the difference." His organization, with a $1.6 million budget, has cut expenses but he remains confident about its future.
"It's not a monetary question," Lotz said. "It's a question of fellowship around the world."
In a statement, Bill Merrell, the committee's vice president for convention relations, acknowledged the instrumental role the denomination had in the formation of the alliance. "However, in recent years, it has become evident that key leaders and influences within the BWA differ in essential areas that we can no longer ignore," he said.
The committee action was taken after a report in December made similar recommendations. That report cited the alliance's "leftward drift" and said its participants "openly oppose many of our most cherished beliefs."
