A Religious Voice: A Story of Struggle

According to an Associated Baptist Press article, one of the conference participants was Jerry Tapley.  Tapley is executive director of The Other Side, “a Christian magazine devoted to peace and justice issues,” which has been a recommended resource by the BJCPA in its Congressional Directory and Action Guide[i] and by the CBF’s 1994 AIDS resource packet.[ii]  Tapley told about becoming an associate pastor of a Baptist Church in Alabama and when he “began a children’s program in the area of peace and justice that some members in the church decided to use the fact that he was gay to push him out.”  The article continues:  “Tapley said it took nearly seven years after he left the Alabama church before he felt comfortable in a Baptist church again.  He found Dolores Street Baptist Church in San Francisco listed in a gay magazine.”[iii]

The pastor of Dolores Street Baptist Church is Jim Lowder, a board member of the CBF-funded Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA).   In February 1995, the BPFNA issued a statement entitled: “Statement on Gay and Lesbian Justice,” which stated in part:

The BPFNA board will take an active role at denominational meetings to oppose any resolutions which assault the integrity of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and prevent them from becoming members of churches, being ordained, being credentialed for chaplaincy and pastoral counseling and being employed in denominational structures.”[iv] 

According to a Baptist Peace Fellowship brochure, the BJCPA is an organizational member of the BPFNA and a representative of the BJCPA is automatically a member of the BPFNA board.  In the early 1990’s, BJCPA executive director James Dunn served on the Baptist Peace Fellowship board of directors, and until recently, served on the group’s Advisory Committee.  Dunn also serves on the Board of Advisors of the publication Seeds with BPFNA executive director Ken Sehested.[v]  The editor of Seeds magazine, Katie Cook, has served as a CBF breakout leader and also serves on the board of directors of the Baptist Peace Fellowship.[vi]  BJCPA director of communications,  Larry Chesser, who also served on the BPFNA board of directors until 1994, continues to serve on the BPFNA Advisory Committee.  CBF coordinating council member David Waugh currently serves on the BPFNA Advisory Committee.  (See Baptist Peace Fellowship) 

National Religious Leadership Roundtable:

Religious Voices Support Bisexuality

Like the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, ANIN has also come out in support of Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons.  In July 1998, ANIN became a part of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable, which was co-convened by the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Equal Partners in Faith.  (Equal Partners in Faith has very strong ties to Americans United.)  Responding to conservative full-page ads entitled “Truth in Love Campaign,” appearing in the Washington Post, USA Today and the New York Times, the National Religious Leadership Roundtable stated in a press release:

Over 30 national religious leaders from many faith traditions gathered in Washington on July 23-24, to express their support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) people in the wake of recent advertisements paid for by the Christian right. 

The press release continues:

There is a growing movement of understanding and affirmation for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trangendered people of faith across this country.  It is in direct response to the basic teachings of our faith communities which call for justice and a proclamation of God’s unconditional love…  We are here to expose the lie that religious belief and acceptance of gays, lesbians, and bisexual human beings created in the image of God stand in contradiction to each other…”[vii]  (emphasis ours)   

The Steering Committee (acting board of directors) for Equal Partners in Faith, which worked in conjunction with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to form the National Religious Leadership Roundtable includes:

•    Meg Riley:  Board member of The Interfaith Alliance; member of the governing board of Americans United for Separation of Church and State; and formerly the director of the Office of Lesbian and Gay Concerns and director of AIDS Action and Information Programs for the Unitarian-Universalist Association.  (Riley is “openly lesbian” according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.[viii]) 

•    Rev Ken Brooker Langston:  National Field Director for Americans United; and former director of education and religious outreach for The Interfaith Alliance.  In 1996, Langston led a “breakout session” at the CBF general assembly while serving as a staff member for The Interfaith Alliance.  

•    Rev. Cedric A. Harmon:  Associate Field Director for Religious Outreach for Americans United. 

•    Leslie Watson:  Director of Multicultural Programs for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. 

•    Mandy Carter:  Field Consultant for the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum.[ix]

Among those serving on the Equal Partners in Faith Advisory Committee are:

•    Rev Barry Lynn:  Executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. 

•    Rev. Carlton Veazey:  President of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

•    Dr. Mary Hunt:  Director of the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (and speaker at the ANIN conference).[x]       

On February 9, 1999, the National Religious Leadership Roundtable issued a second press release claiming the support of “[m]ore than 40 leaders of religious and advocacy organizations that support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender spirituality and equality…”  The press release further states:  “The existence of this Roundtable demonstrates a growing movement of support and acceptance in faith communities for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people…”[xi]

Along with ANIN, The Interfaith Alliance, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and People for the American Way were among the more than 40 organizations participating in the Roundtable.[xii] Each of these organizations have very close ties to the BJCPA.

The executive director of The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) is C. Welton Gaddy; a former president of Americans United; current president of the Alliance of Baptists (an organizational member of the BJCPA which has taken a strong pro-homosexuality position); and a current member of the coordinating council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  Two members of the TIA board of directors, Foy Valentine and Gardner Taylor, are members of the BJCPA’s Religious Liberty Council.  TIA board member David Currie, who serves as TIA’s treasurer,[xiii] also serves with Welton Gaddy on the CBF coordinating council.  

In a July 23, 1998 Associated Baptist Press article, Welton Gaddy also attacked the conservative, full-page “Speak the Truth in Love” advertisements: 

‘I think that it makes no contribution biblically, psychologically, socially to simply make the statement that homosexuality is a sin,’ Gaddy said, ‘I think it is far better to deal with individuals with compassion and to try to enable those individuals to live out their lives and enjoy all kinds of rights that the rest of us do.’[xiv]

Since 1992, the executive director of Americans United has been former ACLU legislative counsel Barry Lynn, a United Church of Christ minister.  In 1985, Rev. Lynn testified before the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography in favor of First Amendment protection for child pornography.[xv]  In a televised debate on William F. Buckley’s Firing Line, which aired in St. Louis on September 26, 1993, Rev. Lynn again defended his position on child pornography, this time as executive director of Americans United.  BJCPA executive director James Dunn has served on the AU board of trustees since 1980.  Numerous other BJCPA staff and board members have served on the governing board of AU.  Equally significant is the number of CBF leaders serving on the AU boards.  During the early 1990’s, AU received funding from the CBF.[xvi]  (See AU ) 

A third participant in the National Religious Leadership Roundtable was People for the American Way (PAW), whose president, Carole Shields, served until recently on the BJCPA board of directors.  Shields’ father, Grady Cothen, also served as a former BJCPA board member; past co-chair of the BJCPA’s Religious Liberty Council; a former president of the Baptist Sunday School Board; and a significant leader in the formation of the CBF.[xvii]  During the early 1980’s, BJCPA executive director James Dunn served a three year term on the PAW board of directors.  Numerous PAW leaders have also served with Dunn on the governing board of Americans United.  Dunn also serves on the board of directors of a group called Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy with long-time PAW board member Charles Bergstrom.[xviii]