Southern Bapt Conv: "that loving and committed homosexual relationships"Are Accepted
"God's plan for marriage and sexual intimacy —two partners, for life" and concludes "that loving and committed homosexual relationships must have the right to acknowledgment in the eyes of God, as well as our own."
The Executive Committee also recommended the Southern Baptist Convention adopt the following resolution:
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have not always clearly stood for gay rights and equality; and
WHEREAS, The growth in the LGBT population of Southern Baptist life is a strong indicator of our growing diversity; and
WHEREAS, The Bible affirms that all people are created in the image of God and are therefore equal and exactly as God intended; and
WHEREAS, All people need a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ;
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, affirm our intention of standing publicly and privately for Gay justice and equality.
Be it further RESOLVED, That we repent of any past homophobia that not only hurt gay people but kept them ostracized from the church and pray for those who are still caught in its clutches; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we bear witness to the devastating impact of homophobia; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon individual Southern Baptists, as well as our churches, to reach across boundaries of sexual identity, establishing fraternal rather than paternal friendships; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That our agencies and institutions seek diligently to bring about greater diversity from the LGBT community at every level of Southern Baptist institutional life;
And Be it further RESOLVED, That the sanctity of marriage for all unions joined in love under God's grace is holy and should receive marriage rights by the Southern Baptist ministry regardless of sexual orientation.
"There's a sense that we're behind the curve in the SBC, that we need to be moving forward with more diversity," said Rev. Fred Luter, first vice president and the first African-American elected to a national office of the Southern Baptist Convention. "We're becoming more aware of the fact we should strive to make church on earth look like church in heaven."
The Southern Baptist Convention is America's largest evangelical denomination, having more than 16.2 million members in more than 43,500 churches nationwide.
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