Check out the latest story on Broadway Baptist Church courtesy of Bob Allen and Associated Baptist Press.
SBC Executive Committee postpones vote on ouster of Broadway Baptist
A few snippets:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has asked a Texas church to clarify its views on homosexuality before determining whether its toleration of gay members violates a constitutional ban on churches that “act to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior.”
A motion referred to the committee by the SBC last June seeks to declare Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth “not to be in friendly cooperation” with the denomination.
…In written correspondence with the Executive Committee, church leaders said members hold a “variety of views” on homosexuality, but the church has not acted in a way that violates the constitutional membership requirement.
Several Executive Committee members said the church’s clear declaration that it does not affirm homosexuality seemed in tension with the admission that five church members are openly gay and two of the five are assigned to a committee.
The Executive Committee asked the church to provide more information about the congregation’s views on homosexuality and the church before it reports back to the convention on the referred motion at the SBC annual meeting in June.
And finally:
If Broadway Baptist Church is disfellowshipped, it will have implications for four of its active members who teach at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, including the church’s choir director and Sunday morning worship leader. Southwestern requires all full-time faculty members to belong to a Southern Baptist church.
Surprised to say this, but I do believe that the SBC’s Executive Committe has a valid point. I think most would agree that Broadway’s declaration that it does not affirm homosexuality seems in tension with thir admission that they have openly gay members, some of whom are serving in positions of leadership at Broadway.
While it is true that Broadway Baptist Church has never explicitly affirmed homosexuality, I’m not convinced that the church has been unaffirming of homosexuality.
In light of all this, Broadway seems to be on shaky ground in its contention that they as a church have not acted in a manner “to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior” and thus remain a Baptist church in “friendly cooperation” with the Southern Baptist Convention per Article III of the SBC’s Constitution.
If a church wants to welcome and grant membership and all its privileges to openly gay men and lesbians, fine. An autonomous Baptist church has the freedom to make those type of decisions. But a denomination like the Southern Baptist Convention that has as part of its Constitution an anti-gay plank for membership purposes is probably not the best organization to desire a friendly, cooperative relationship with.
Some relationships just aren’t intended to last forever.
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Dear BDW,
I joined Broadway in their presentation to the SBC Ex Committee. It was a very productive and enlightening day. I commend the Ex Committee for their gracious and straightforward dealing with this issue. In like manner the Broadway delegation was humble, honest, open, and trying to find common ground.
I agree with you that work will need to be done on Broadway’s part, but don’t rule out their openness and willingness to address the key issues on the table. On the Lord knows what will happen, but today was a good day in Baptist life.
David Lowrie
President
BGCT
BDW,
You make good points on this very interesting issue.
The big surprise to me is the fact that SWBTS still has profs with Broadway membership.
Perhaps Patterson and the administration aren’t entirely the dictatorial, exclusionary brutes they’re often portrayed to be?
BDW: … Broadway seems to be on shaky ground in its contention that they as a church have not acted in a manner “to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior”
bapticus hereticus: there is, of course, the official position and unofficial position of an institution, as such is the case in all institutions (unless said institution wishes to take on the difficult argument that its formal and informal structures, etc. are congruent), but that homosexuals are involved in various roles does not necessitate formal or informal acceptance or affirmation of said sexual preference any more or less than involving people that are divorced, which i think many SBC churches allow. that is, the state is not a criterion subjected to evaluation prior to or after participation. the issue is about homosexuality, of course (to which we have a pretty good sense for the outcome), and not the logic of the argument and its potential implications.
I find it somewhat interesting that, all the way to the SBC level, so much is known about the sexual orientation of specific church members, particularly those serving on committees. I realize the high level of publicity the church received related to its decision about whether or not to include the photographs of gay couples in the church directory, but I think the lines are blurred when it comes to using such things, as well as service on church committees, as a means of measuring the church’s stance on homosexuality. The words affirm, approve and endorse carry a level of subjectivity with them. In the various ways Baptist churches approve their members to serve on committees, it is conceivable that the church body would not have thought it was endorsing or approving homosexuality in a vote unless there was an asterisk beside the names of the openly gay members.
Nor does church membership constitute an endorsement or approval of the specific members’ behavior or lifestyle. When someone makes a profession of faith, or joins on promise of letter, they become a member. Generally, most Baptist churches do not hand them a list of sins they cannot be guilty of committing in order to join, and our expectation is that, over time, the discipleship process will help individuals see the things they need to change in their lives to be more consistent with what pleases the Lord. We are all on that road.
In all of these matters, the church will have to wrestle with a whole lot of things about themselves. That’s probably why, in Baptist polity, the independence and autonomy of the local church should be respected. The executive board should not be involved in interpreting for a local church what their “stand” should be on any given sin issue.
[...] Short shrift has not been made. Clarification has been asked by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to which the matter was referred by the SBC convention last June. Action on the Texas church’s case delayed. [...]
But breaking up is hard to do.
[...] Read Bob Allen’s coverage over at Associated Baptist Press. My most recent blog post is here. [...]
BDW,
I don’t think we at Broadway are being inconsistent. Membership goes to the person, not to the person’s behavior. We had a person join the church today on promise of letter. She is a professing Christian who has been baptized by immersion - we did not quiz her on her behaviors. Committee membership is - at least at our church - service, not leadership.
I know that many on the “moderate/progressive/liberal” side want us to cut ties with the SBC, but might there be enough in common for us at least to stay in the same room together, even if there are multiple actions, statements, and policies with which we disagree? Reconciliation can speak to the world. The other option does not seem to have worked very well thus far. I don’t know where the “continuing conversation” with the SBC and Broadway will go, and even if the outcome is not ideal, we had one good day of reaching out in what I believe was a Christlike attempt.
Thanks for your continuing work.