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V.) The BJCPA and the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America: Support for Gay Ordination 1.
This
section of our BJC flyer is clear. Despite
the Baptist Peace Fellowship’s (BPFNA) 1995 statement supporting “gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
persons” and the organization’s stated commitment to work against
efforts that would “prevent [such persons] from becoming members of churches,
being ordained, being credentialed for chaplaincy and pastoral counseling and
being employed in denominational structures,” BJC leaders continue to serve on
the advisory board of the BPFNA. The fact that James Dunn and Larry Chesser
continue to serve on the BPFNA advisory committee despite the organization’s
radical pro-homosexual position reveals the BJC’s attitude toward the issue of
homosexuality. (Until 1994, Larry
Chesser served on the BPFNA board of directors but now serves with Dunn on the
advisory board.)
2.
According
to Mr. Tichenor: “…James Dunn has never served on the governing board of the
BPFNA.” However, according
to the Fall, 1991 issue of the Baptist
Peacemaker (page 2), the official journal of the BPFNA, Dunn did indeed
serve on that organization’s board of directors.
Furthermore, our BJC flyer did not state that Dunn had served on the
BPFNA’s board of directors. The
point we made was that five BJC leaders had served on either the board of
directors or advisory board of the BPFNA. Our
point is that it matters not whether BJC leaders are “policy makers,” as in
members of the board of directors, or “policy advisors,” as in the advisory
board, the fact remains that the BJC has never condemned the Baptist Peace
Fellowship’s radical statement in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgendered sexuality.
3.
Mr.
Tichenor again argues that the BJC can not be held accountable for their
activities, actions or their associations: “The fact that BJC staff persons
have collaborated at some points with the BPFNA does not mean that the BJC
supports every statement or every action of the BPFNA.”
But the BPFNA has always been a far-left group.
Former Word and Way editor Bob
Terry, a well known leader within the moderate movement, had no problem
identifying the BPFNA as a “fringe movement among Southern Baptists.” (Word and Way,
March 9, 1995, p. 2)
The BJC, however, has made no such statement,
but instead, Dunn and Chesser continue to serve in official BPFNA positions.
4.
The
significance of the BPFNA statement is its inclusion of “bisexuals” in their
statement of support for homosexuality. The
word “bisexual,” by its very definition, means more than one “sex
partner.” This places the BPFNA
statement far to the left of even those who call for monogamous homosexual
relationships and “gay marriages.” To
advocate bisexuals and “transgendered” persons as acceptable for
“denominational” leadership positions places the BPFNA in a league by
themselves.
5.
CBF
leaders who have served on the board of the BJC and
on one of the boards of the Baptist Peace Fellowship include: Pat Ayres, former
CBF moderator and a Co-Chair of the BJC’s Religious Liberty Council; Carolyn
Weatherford Crumpler, former CBF moderator and former BJC board member; and
Jeanette Holt, former BJC staffer/board member, member of the CBF’s
Coordinating Council and associate director of the Alliance of Baptists (a group
that also supports the gay lifestyle). Each
of these CBF leaders were also listed among the 1996 financial contributors to
the Baptist Peace Fellowship. (Baptist
Peacemaker, Spring, 1997, center insert)
6.
In
1995, after the BPFNA issued its statement in favor of homosexuality, the CBF
“discontinued regular funding,” leaving “open the option of providing
support to the Baptist Peace Fellowship on a project basis.”
(Fellowship News,
July/August, 1995, p. 15 and also see March 1996, p.12)
Despite the
BPFNA’s extreme pro-homosexual statement, the CBF continued to quietly fund
the BPFNA as a non-budget item - $9000 in 1996, a total of $2000 more than the
CBF took away in 1995. According to
an ABP article, the CBF Coordinating Council voted in its April 1997 meeting to
re-establish funding ($8,000) for the BPFNA as a budget item. The significance of this re-established relationship is that
the CBF had “to make mid-year budget cuts two years in a row” because of
“plateaued income.”
(ABP,
“Fellowship’s Coordinating Council projects modest budget growth,” April,
1997. Also see Baptist Press
article, “Momentum stalled, CBF board discusses growth initiatives,” April
21, 1997)
It is also
important to note that the BPFNA has never rescinded its pro-homosexual
statement. (CBF is the single
largest contributor to the BJC.)
7. Mr. Tichenor also failed to deal with the fact that the BJC has long been listed as an organizational member of the BPFNA. According to a BPFNA brochure, a representative of the BJC is automatically a member of the BPFNA governing board: “The Baptist Peace Fellowship is governed by a board composed of persons affiliated with 11 Baptist conventions in Canada, the U.S., Puerto Rico and Mexico, plus representatives from Baptist convention peace and justice offices and from two cooperative Baptist agencies - the Baptist World Alliance and the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.”
8.
The
Baptist Peace Fellowship isn’t the only pro-homosexual Baptist group involved
with the BJC. According to an
Associated Baptist Press article: “An Alliance of Baptists task force on human
sexuality two years ago stopped short of endorsing the ordination of gays but
said such determinations should be made by local churches and not by
denominational organizations.” According
to the ABP article, the Alliance of Baptists statement on sexuality, “which
Alliance members ‘received with gratitude,’ encouraged churches ‘to
recognize and develop gifts for ministry in all persons, without regard to
sexual orientation.’” Most recently, the Alliance gave a $3000 “mission grant”
to Cross Creek Community Church, a new United Church of Christ congregation
which “‘welcomes and invites all people’ and
does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, race or sexual
orientation.” The pastor was
formerly a “Baptist pastor who two years ago resigned his church because
fellow ministers threatened to reveal to his congregation that he is gay…”
According to Stan Hastey, executive director of the Washington-based
Alliance of Baptists: “We’ve truly become a welcoming and affirming group as
to gay people, there’s no denying that.”
(Associated
Baptist Press, March 1997, “Baptist minister ‘outed’ in 1995 joins UCC,
begins new church”)
The Alliance of
Baptists is one of the participating Baptist bodies of the BJC.
9.
Ann
Quattlebaum, president of the Alliance of Baptists, was elected to the BJC board
in 1993, and should have rotated off the board in 1996. (Report from the Capital,
June, 1993, p.8. Also see Religious
Liberty Council Annual Meeting, July 21, 1995 list of board members)
Most recently,
Nancy Sehested, wife of Ken Sehested, executive director of the Baptist Peace
Fellowship, was elected president of the Alliance of Baptists.
Nancy conducted a “breakout” session at the 1996 General Assembly of
the CBF. (See 1996 CBF Resource book, p.C4)
Stan Hastey,
executive director of the Alliance of Baptists, served for 15 years on the staff
of the BJC. Part of that time, he
served as the BJC’s associate director. According to Hastey, responding to the Alliance’s Special
Task Force on Human Sexuality: “Some now
will say we are pro-gay. And while
some Alliance people will object, I want you to know I won’t be among them.
My vision for the Alliance is that we are for all of God’s children –
and against all the barriers that separate us. …[T]hose
whose sexual orientation is
homosexual or bisexual or anything else, our position is clear…
Concerning the way persons of a homosexual orientation are treated within
the Alliance itself, we have made it equally clear from our inception that all
are welcome. Just as nearly every
local congregation has gay worshipers and members, increasing numbers of them
out of the closet, so in the Alliance we have known of some of our gay
constituency and have sought to create a welcoming atmosphere.
My strongly held view has been and will remain that this fact of Alliance
life is not something to hide or run away from but to welcome and celebrate.”
(Baptists Today, October 13, 1994) 10.
The
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, also one of the participating Baptist bodies of
the BJC and top financial supporter of the BJC ($240,000 for 1997) has also had
difficulty standing up against homosexuality.
Not only has the CBF continued to fund the Baptist Peace Fellowship in
light of its extreme pro-homosexual statement, but in 1994, the CBF published a
resource for churches entitled, “HIV/AIDS Ministry: Putting A Face On AIDS.”
Some of the statements made in the packet include:
·
“During
pregnancy, the fetus is developing characteristics that will determine the
person’s sexual orientation. Therefore,
a person does not choose to be homosexual or heterosexual.”
(p. 16) ·
“We do
not chose our sexual orientation, but rather we ‘awaken’ to it.”
(p. 17-18) ·
“…the
writings of Paul, indicates that celibacy is not possible for everyone.
It is only for those who have been called to that state by the Holy
Spirit. God said, ‘It is not good
for human beings to be alone’ (Genesis 2:18).
That statement is true for all persons
of all sexual orientations.” (p. 19)
· “No longer is family defined as mother, father, son, daughter, a dog, and a station wagon. Such definition has changed through time, circumstances, and disintegration. Family may be defined as a basic, primary group of caring relationships within intimate boundaries… James Nelson paints a clear picture of his experience with the contemporary family with this word picture, ‘On our floor are nine apartments… in only two of the nine (apartments) are there married couples… There are couples who have no intent of marrying. There are single-parent families. There are blended families… gay families and lesbian families… yet they are constituted as families by enduring covenants.’” (p. 25) 11.
The
American Baptist Churches USA, another of the member bodies of the BJC is also
struggling with the homosexual issue. According
to an article appearing in Christian
Century: “The surging debate over homosexuality and the churches is
threatening to wash over yet another denomination, the American Baptist
Churches. The ABC has managed to
hold together a mix of liberal and conservative congregations for nearly 50
years.” According to the Christian Century, the ABC General Board “has adopted two
seemingly conflicting resolutions on homosexuality since 1992 - one declaring
that homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian teaching, the other
acknowledging a diversity of views on homosexuality within the ABC and calling
for dialogue on the subject.” (Christian
Century, July 27-August 3, 1994, p.714)
According to a March, 1997 ABP article, “The
ordination of gays is among the most controversial issues in American religion
today. Recently it has divided the
Presbyterian Church (USA) and is expected to be an issue for the American
Baptist Churches, USA, when that group holds its biennial meeting this
summer.” (Associated
Baptist Press, March, 1997, “Baptist minister ‘outed’”)
In June of 1992,
the ABC governing board rejected a resolution by a vote of 91 to 88 with 2
abstentions, that identified homosexual practice as “unscriptural” and
“outside the will of God.”
(Religion Reporter, June 29, 1992) 12.
The
National Ministries of the American Baptist Churches was a “funder” of the
1993 “Re-Imagining” conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Re-Imagining conference was a celebration of lesbianism and the
worship of “Sophia,” the goddess of wisdom.(Re-Imagining program, p. 66.
Also see “The Re-Imagining Conference: A Report,” published by the
American Family Association.)
Serving on the
board of the BJC at that time was Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins, executive director
of the American Baptist National Ministries. (Report
from the Capital,
Nov/Dec, 1991, p. 4 and June 13, 1995, p. 1)
Also serving on the BJC board at the time of
the Re-Imagining conference was
Earl Trent, house counsel of the board of National Ministries of the American
Baptist Churches.
(Report
from the Capital, July/Aug, 1991, p. 5 and Aug. 15, 1995, p. 1) One month before
the Re-Imagining conference, Dan Weiss, general secretary of the American
Baptist Churches was elected as first vice chairman of the BJC. (Report from the
Capital, Oct. 1993, p. 4) (See section V.5)
13
13. According to an
article in the Christian Century:
“Leaders of the American Baptist Churches maintain that some aspects of last
fall’s controversial Re-Imagining conference on feminist theology were
contrary to historic Christianity. Nonetheless,
they indicated in a prepared statement that they reaffirm the denomination’s
commitment to the empowerment of women. ABC
General Secretary Daniel E. Weiss and other officials said that during the
November conference in Minneapolis ‘certain statements were made and actions
taken which we believe are not consistent with historic Christian
teachings.’” The article
continues: “Declared the ABC statement: ‘We want emphatically to go on
record, affirming our commitment to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as ‘the
way, the truth and the life,’ and to express our conviction that there is
‘salvation in no one else.’ But
at the same time the ABC leaders stressed that ‘we want to reiterate our
continued solidarity with women in their struggle for justice,’ and that the
‘problems’ they had with ‘some of what went on’ at the Re-Imagining
conference ‘in no way diminishes our commitment to the empowerment of
women.’” Besides Dan Weiss,
Aidsand Wright-Riggins executive director of National Ministries for the ABC
also signed the statement. (Christian Century, April 6, 1994, p. 345) Currently, Aidsand Wright-Riggins serves as chairman of the
BJC’s board of directors. (Report from the Capital, Oct.
21, 1997, p 1)
14.
According
to an Associated Baptist Press article, December 9th, 1997, the
American Baptist Churches USA is again attempting to deal with the homosexual
issue: “An American Baptist
Churches USA panel named to ‘deal constructively’ with divisive issues –
including whether churches kicked out [of] an ABC regional affiliated group for
affirming homosexuals may continue to relate to the national denomination –
has submitted its report for a first reading.”
The article continues: “The General Board established the ‘broadly
representative’ commission in November 1995 to study issues generating
‘considerable disagreement’ among American Baptists…
Among those issues is a polity question regarding the status of
congregations kicked out of their region over membership in the Association of
Welcoming and Affirming Baptist, a group which advocates inclusion of gays,
lesbians and bisexuals in American Baptist churches.” According to the ABP article, the report recommends that the
general board ‘“Maintain’ both a 1992 resolution calling homosexuality
‘incompatible with Christian teaching’ and another statement calling for
dialogue on sexuality issues that acknowledges a ‘variety of understandings’
among American Baptists concerning homosexuality.” The article also notes: “The commission acknowledged
‘there is no perfect solution to potential disunity’ which would please all
American Baptists. The group said
its report aimed to reaffirm the centrality of the Bible…” Quoting BJC board member Daniel Weiss, who also serves as
General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA, the article states:
‘“We will always have differences,’ Weiss said.
‘they are a necessary consequence of the very thing that is at the
heart of being a Baptist – freedom.’”
(ABP
article, American Baptist commission proposes unity recommendations, Dec. 9,
1997)
15. As noted above, the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB) is a network of American Baptists congregations, organizations and individuals committed to including gays, lesbians and bisexuals in American Baptist churches. On August 16-18, 1996, AWAB held its first national gathering. According to an article in the Baptist Peacemaker, published by the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America: “The three-day gathering will feature a keynote address by Peggy and Tony Campolo.” Tony Campolo was also the keynote speaker at the 1995 General Assembly of the CBF. (Along with James Dunn, Campolo was an “endorser” and key figure in the Call to Renewal organization. (See section XV.3)
16.
The
CBF and the ABC have developed close ties in recent years.
The March/April 1995 issue of Fellowship
News, the newsletter of the CBF, stated: “Confronted with impending
exclusion from the Southern Baptist Annuity board, the Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship staff has been embraced by American Baptists.”
The article continues: “American Baptist Churches decided to provide
employee benefits to CBF staff ‘in response to the critical needs of our
Baptist colleagues in the ministry of Jesus Christ,’ said ABC General
Secretary Daniel Weiss. ‘We are
pleased to respond to a partnership beginning to express itself between the CBF
and the ABC in such projects as the mutual support of Central Seminary in Kansas
City, Kansas’” (pg.
13)
In the
June 1996 issue of Fellowship News, it
states: “Central Baptist Theological Seminary is
affilliated and aligned with the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. and
is in full support 17.
Telos
Ministries, Inc., a group founded “to provide support for Baptist
Gays/Lesbians,” in their July 1996 newsletter, Tellus,
identified the Baptist Joint Committee as “a
friend for many years.” After
reprinting much of Dunn’s regular BJC column, the Baptist gay group expressed
its “continuing support of the BJC,” stating: “We encourage others to do
so as well.” But the question
arises, why would a group of gay Baptists identify the BJC as “a friend for
many years?” Tellus, the newsletter of Telos Ministries, Inc, is a group “founded
in July of 1992 to offer a positive environment for the free expression of faith
in corporate worship and Bible study; to provide support for Baptist Gays
/Lesbians, their parents, spouses, relatives, and friends; to promote dialogue
in the churches between gay and non-gay persons; to present accurate information
about homosexuality from the social sciences, biblical studies, and theology.”
(Tellus,
July, 1996 p. 2)
In the same issue of Tellus, under the heading “Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship Meetings,” the gay Baptist newsletter states:
“There will be two members of
Telos Ministries attending the meetings of the C.B.F. at Richmond June 27-29.
We have been received at previous meetings, and anticipate the same this
year. … We pray that the CBF will
continue to move toward accepting all
persons who know and love Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, as revealed
to each by a Loving Father, without any mortally contrived conditions or
parameters.” (Pg. 8)
One of the writers for the July, 1996 issue of Tellus
was Mary E. Hunt, Director of
Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual. Ms. Hunt was one of the speakers at the 1993 Re-Imagining
conference. Talking about how
“lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people have not fared any better in
church circles in recent decades…,” Ms Hunt goes on to state: “Imagine
sex among friends as the norm, young people learning to make friends rather than
to date. Imagine valuing genital
sexual interaction in terms of whether and how it fosters friendship and
pleasure. Imagine, just imagine.
Imagine the many ways friends are together since not all of us have the
time or inclination to go to bed together.
…Pleasure is our birthright of which we have been robbed in religious
patriarchy. It is time to claim it
anew with our friends.” (AFA Report on the Re-Imagining conference, p. 11)
In a May, 1997 statement published by
“Equal Partners in Faith,” condemning Promise Keepers, Mary
Hunt and numerous leaders from The Interfaith Alliance and the executive
director of Americans United signed on. Among the complaints listed in the statement are:
“The Promise Keepers’ leadership invalidates the worth and dignity of
gay and lesbian people. Founder Bill McCartney was a major proponent of Colorado’s
Amendment Two, which was later declared unconstitutional by the United States
Supreme Court for legislating that gay, lesbian or bisexual people should have
no legal recourse when they are discriminated against.
He has publicly referred to homosexuals as ‘an abomination.’
The Promise Keepers put forth the theory, negated by reputable
organizations such as the American Psychological Association, that gays can be
converted to heterosexuality.” Among
those signing the statement with Mary Hunt are: Barry Lynn, executive director
of Americans United; Amos Brown, The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) board of
directors; Denise Davidoff, TIA board of directors; William P Thompson, TIA
board of directors; John Swomley, TIA board of directors; Meg Riley, TIA board
of directors; Robert Menielly, TIA board of directors; and Ken Brooker-Langston,
director of Education and Religious Outreach, TIA. (See
section II.5)
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