By Noreen Marcus
FloridaBulldog.org
Standing in the pulpit of First Baptist Church’s historic sanctuary, Lead Pastor James Welch praised this “beacon of hope in the heart of Fort Lauderdale.” It was May 2, the first Sunday after the church’s trustees expelled an estimated 200 members. The group, Concerned Members of First Baptist Church, had tried to exert the influence that church bylaws promise congregants, only to be blocked at every turn.