Denominations' beliefs about homosexuality

The Southern Baptist
Convention & homosexuality

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The 35 million Baptists form the largest division within Protestant Christianity in the United States. About 16 million are associated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The SBC broke away from its parent organization at the time of the civil war. Schisms occurred in many national denominations over the slavery issue.

Traditionally, this denomination had varying levels of tolerance for homosexuality and had expressed concern over gay-bashing. However, with the shift of the SBC towards fundamentalism since about 1980, attitudes have significantly hardened into an extreme opposition to equal rights for gays, bisexuals and lesbians, including allowing sexually active gay, lesbian, and bisexuals to be members.

SBC Position on Sexual Orientation

The SBC's Christian Life Commission publishes a pamphlet called Critical Issues: Homosexuality. It states that:

	The many Bible passages that are commonly quoted as condemning homosexuality are valid.
	People can change their sexual orientation.
	Homosexual orientation is not "caused" by hormonal imbalance or genetic factors, but by an unhealthy relationship with one's parents.
	People cannot be pigeonholed into two classifications: homosexual or heterosexual. A continuum exists which includes various degrees of bisexuality.
	Although homosexual activity is a sin, it is not the unpardonable sin, or "the most terrible of sins."
	Homosexuals can only lead moral lives by remaining celibate.
	Discrimination against gays and lesbians is proper, in the areas of: employment. to protect the family. [They are presumably referring to families headed by heterosexuals] to protect other social institutions.

Rev. William Merrell, the SBC's vice president for convention relations said in 1997-MAR:

"It is a fundamental contradiction, to say 'gay minister,'...The teachings of scripture are plain; that one is called to live a life that is in keeping with the principles the Lord has given us. Homosexuality is a fundamental denial of those principles."

Within the SBC, Merrell said members always have affirmed the same position: homosexuality is a sin, homosexual ministers should be removed, and gay and lesbian people must renounce the lifestyle if they want to be members of the denomination.

Recent SBC Developments Concerning Homosexuality

	1987: Their convention condemned homosexual behavior as a "manifestation of a depraved nature and a perversion of divine standards." They viewed homosexual behavior as being linked to a general "moral decline" in America.
	1991: Their convention passed a resolution saying that homosexual behavior is "outside the will of God." and that "it is the responsibility and privilege of the church to minister to homosexuals".
	1992: One of the traditional, identifying characteristics of Baptist churches had always been the freedom of the individual congregation in matters of doctrine and morality. This had been the defining factor among Baptists for centuries, worldwide. Congregational freedom had existed in the SBC ever since the founding of the denomination. This came to a crashing halt in 1992. First, the North Carolina State Baptist Convention "disfellowshipped" (expelled) two of its congregations. They acted against the recommendations of their own executive committee. Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church in Chapel Hill NC had approved the ordination of a known homosexual. Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh NC had blessed the relationship of two committed gay men. The disfellowship decisions were later ratified by the SBC, who warned that other churches would be expelled if they demonstrated "unfriendly cooperation". The SBC amended their constitution to bar from membership any congregation that would "affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior." This convention was the one at which the then

"then-Vice President Dan Quayle made his famous "Murphy Brown" speech condemning unwed motherhood. Thus the major media mostly missed what may ultimately turn out to be a much more significant story: that the issue of homosexuality caused the largest American Protestant denomination to violate its own founding principles in the antigay measures approved by the Convention." ₂

	1993: The SBC condemned President Clinton and Vice-President Gore for their support in ending discrimination against gays.
	1995: The Convention acknowledged that human slavery was wrong, that they had sinned in the past on this issue and that the sin of racism still existed within the church. Slavery and racism have nothing directly to do with sexual orientation, but it indicates that the SBC is capable of reversing a well entrenched, biblically based, ethical position, and apologizing for past sins.
	1996 At their convention, almost all of the approximately 13,000 delegates voted in favor of implementing a boycott of Walt Disney movies, products and theme parks unless Disney changes its policies concerning how they treat treatment of religious topics and extend equal right to gay and lesbian employees.
	1997: At their annual convention in Dallas, TX, Rev. Richard Land, president of the SBC Christian Life Commission, addressed the messengers (delegates), saying "Disney is going to find out just how many regiments and just how many divisions of godly people Southern Baptists have." Referring to negotiations over the previous year between the SBC and Disney, Land reported "On good days, the Disney corporation ignored us. On bad days, they contemptuously gave us the back of their hands." The 12,000 delegates implemented the boycott that had been threatened in the previous year. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor.
	1997-OCT: Oliver Thomas of the National Council of Churches and Herbert Valentine of the Presbyterian Church (USA) were scheduled to talk in support of the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA) before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. 3 This bill would have prohibited discrimination against persons on the basis of their sexual orientation. A procedural move prevented them from being heard. Will Dodson, director of public policy for the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission said that he "walked away from the hearing both sad and angry." He was not distressed that the fellow Protestants had been muzzled, and not permitted to speak. Rather, he commented:

"I walked away angry because there were actually church leaders who were there to support the bill. As Christians, our response to this issue should be to love the sinner and hate the sin. It is infuriating to hear church leaders suggest that we are showing love for the sinner by accepting his sinful behavior. Christians ought to be helping them to escape a sinful, harmful lifestyle. I can understand how those without Christ would defend their lifestyle. However, it is inexcusable that Christians would defend lifestyles which are contrary to Scripture."  

1998-JUN: At their annual convention in Salt Lake City, UT delegates passed a resolution opposing any attempt by the government to provide  "endorsement, sanction, recognition, acceptance or civil rights advantage on the basis of homosexuality." This resolution is confusing on four levels: they oppose legislation which would give recognition to homosexuality. This is surprising, because the only legislation on the books at that time that mention homosexual behavior are those (commonly called sodomy or crimes against nature) are laws which criminalize homosexual behavior.   we are unaware of any attempts to create laws which would extend to gays and lesbians any civil rights advantage. The programs of gay-positive advocacy groups appear to be directed towards obtaining equal rights - those that already been extended to heterosexuals.   the resolution talks about "homosexuality", but does not indicate whether it is attacking homosexual orientation or homosexual behavior.

1998-JUL: The Kansas City Star had reported in 1998-MAY that Marc Cadd, a German Professor at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO had planned to help students request formal recognition of a gay-lesbian group. Cadd is also the director of the college's Center for Educational Diversity. President Christian Sizemore stated:

"I would emphasize that our policies clearly state that the college will not provide recognition, endorsement or funds for a gay or lesbian support group. To do so would be contrary to our mission and purposes, which are deeply rooted in Baptist traditions."

The Hilltop Monitor, the campus newspaper, contained an editorial by Natalie Nimmer promoting tolerance. She noted that the school had a long way to go"

"... before truly accepting diversity and promoting love for all of God's children. By speaking out for what is right and realizing all people are different, we can create a positive change that will promise tolerance, acceptance and love."

Mike Whitehead, a Church-state law expert and assistant professor of church and law at Midwestern Seminary, has stated that private religious colleges must be free to teach their religious beliefs.

"There is no legal duty for a private religious school to allow homosexual student groups to be recognized or to operate on campus. Public colleges, funded with tax dollars, are held to different standards and constitutional duties, including giving equal access to various student groups, including homosexual advocacy groups. That's why Baptist colleges remain private, so that Baptist campuses may reflect biblical values."

1998-NOV: The Wake Forest Baptist Church is on the campus of Wake Forest University in North Carolina. It is a member of the SBC. The congregation passed a statement on NOV-15 which states in part:

"... though we cannot, as a church, bless any relationship, we do with joy petition God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, that He bless, insofar as it conforms to His will, any and all loving, committed, and exclusive relationships between two people."

The vote was 90 to 33. They also decided to allow their clergy preside at gay and lesbian union services. Mac Brunson, president of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention commented "Regardless of how they phrase it, they're sanctioning same-sex marriage." This action by the church severed its relationship with the state convention; it is the third congregation to be thrown out of the SBC because of equal treatment granted to persons of all sexual orientations.

	1998-OCT: About 2,400 delegates from SBC denominations in Georgia attended the Georgia Baptist Convention in Columbus GA. They said that gays and lesbians are welcome as members. However, congregations that endorse "the homosexual lifestyle" or which perform homosexual union ceremonies will be excluded from the association.  J. Gerald Harris of Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta GA made a remarkable statement: "The unanimous verdict of Scripture is that practicing homosexuality is a sin. [Love] must not compromise the church's allegiance to Scripture."
	1999-JUN: At the 1999 SBC convention in Atlanta, GA some controversies were dealt with: American Airlines: On 1999-JAN-29, both American and Delta Airlines announced discount fares for delegates attending the SBC convention. The SBC Executive Committee dropped American Airlines as a recommended carrier on FEB-9. They gave as their reason AA's financial contributions to the Human Rights Campaign, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). The committee said that AA had previously given assurances that it would not "support movements destructive of the family and society." Apparently the SBC viewed support for human rights and opposition to defamation as destructive to family and society, while AA viewed that support as positive or neutral. AA was the first major airline to prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and was the first to allow an internal homosexual support group. 5   Rebuke to Clinton: A resolution was passed with near unanimous consent at the SBC annual meeting which rebuked one of their own members, President Clinton. The resolution included: Reproving the President for "issuing a historic proclamation designating a 'Gay and Lesbian Pride Month' " 6 on 1999-JUN-11.   Criticizing President Clinton for his "most public endorsement of that which is contrary to the Word of God." and for forcing Americans to choose between "denying a presidential proclamation or rejecting their own deeply held religious convictions."   A request that Clinton cancel his appointment of James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg. (Hormell is openly gay).   Criticism of violent attacks against homosexuals.   Expressing of "abhorrence of the teaching that God hates any person on account of an immoral lifestyle."   Reaffirmed that gays and lesbians can be converted to heterosexuality thorough belief in Jesus. They proclaimed that "forgiveness of and freedom from homosexuality" is found in Jesus. They offered no proof of this statement, which seems to contradict extensive research findings that adult's sexual orientation is fixed and unchangeable.   Richard Land, president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Commission, said after the vote that the proclamation was: "... a call for the American people to affirm and approve behavior that tens of millions of Americans believe, by the definition of their most sacred religious convictions, to be deviant, immoral behavior, and that's an abuse of the office of the presidency. Gay Pride banners: Over 600 banners proclaiming "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" appeared on city light poles in Atlanta, during the SBC convention.
	1999-JUL-16: Jimmy Allen, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1977-1979) addressed the General Conference and World Jubilee of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in Los Angeles. The MCC describes itself as "the world's largest organization serving the spiritual needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community." It was their 30th anniversary. Dr. Troy Perry, founder of the MCC, personally asked Allen to speak because he felt that his church's members needed to know that

"... there are still parents in that [Baptist tradition] who love their children even if they don't agree theologically with them." Dr. Allen has a gay son with AIDS. He said "I love him and we do not agree. I believe it's time for us to talk to each other instead of about each other....I'm not changing any positions or pulling any punches about what I believe [about homosexuality]."

Dr. Allen is a moderate Baptist who founded the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship when Fundamentalists took over leadership of the SBC in the early 1990's. ₇

Religion Today's news summary mentioned that a:

"spokesman for the SBC said the former president's appearance could be misconstrued as supporting the agenda of the gay church. Metropolitan church founder Troy Perry said that inviting Allen was controversial within his group because about 20% of its members left Baptist churches because they felt they were not accepted." ₈

2000-JUN-15: Their year-2000 convention in Orlando, FL, home of Disney World, covered a number of major topics. They decided to prohibit their 1,600 ordained women from acting as pastors. At a time when other faith groups are calling for a moratorium or for studies into capital punishment, the SBC affirmed their support for the death penalty. 9 Some developments concerning homosexuality were:   Messengers (delegates) to the meeting altered the SBC's Baptist Faith and Message. It now calls on Christians to "oppose all forms of sexual immorality, including ... homosexuality."   James Merritt, a pastor from Snellville, GA became the new SBC president. He said: "Yes, we do stand against homosexuality. We believe that Scripture is absolutely plain. There's not one shred of evidence in the Bible that God ever approved of homosexuality in any shape, form or fashion.  At the same time, what we're really for is the family. And we're really for the homosexual having a productive lifestyle that honors the Lord."  Former SBC president, Bailey Smith, is an evangelist from Atlanta GA. He received applause from the delegates when he said: "If you believe it is natural and acceptable for two men to marry each other and two women to marry each other, you are not a liberal. You are a nutball."   Messengers approved a resolution that congratulated Laura Schlessinger for her opposition to homosexuals during her radio broadcasts.   Leaders of three "ex-gay ministries" said that Baptists must continue their stand for biblical morality but also must be willing to extend God's unconditional love to people trapped in homosexuality. 10   Tim Wilkins, director of CROSS Ministry, Raleigh, NC, appeared with representatives of Eleutheros, Fringe Youth Outreach, and Family Research Council. Wilkins said: " Southern Baptists have come under increasing attack for sincerely holding the biblical view that homosexuality is sinful and that Jesus Christ can and does set men and women free from sinful lifestyles. No other denomination has taken the public stand that Southern Baptists have on this issue and the heat that stand has generated." Bertie Barber of Eleutheros in Winter Park FL said: "We embrace the inseparable standard of God's truth and love. While we make no apology for standing on and for God's truth, we confess that we have not always stood as zealously on and for God's love...For the times we have tried to present biblical truth in ways that were unloving or even hateful, please forgive us. For the times we have self-righteously pointed our fingers and declared your sin greater than ours, please forgive us. For the times we have condemned and offered no love, no mercy, no hope, please forgive us."

2003-JUN: At their annual meeting in Phoeix, AZ, the Southern Baptist Convention called on its 16 million members and 42,000 churches to mount a massive campaign to convert gays into ex-gays by convincing them that they can become heterosexual if they accept Jesus Christ as their savior and reject their "sinful, destructive lifestyle." Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptists' public policy arm, said:

"Homosexuals can find freedom from this sinful, destructive lifestyle. They can be redeemed. They can be liberated..."We want you to know that we love you, and more importantly Jesus loves you, and there is a way out."

David Smith, communications director at the gay-positive Human Rights Campaign (HRC) -- a gay and lesbian positive group -- responded:

"This is yet another attempt by the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention to distort and manipulate their congregation's faith to attack Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people. This kind of anti-Gay prejudice flies in the face of scientific evidence, common sense and basic decency and it fuels discrimination that can lead to violence against GLBT Americans."

During a different interview, he stated:

"If the Southern Baptist Convention embraces such an outreach, it would be the largest denomination to do so. They're promoting 'love the sinner, hate the sin,' but they're really saying that gay people are bad and that gives license to violence."

Sean Cahill, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force called this program:

"... absurd, sad and offensive. I wish the Southern Baptists had learned from the shameful and brutal history of forced conversions of Native American into Christians in the United States and of Jews in Europe."

President Bush addressed the meeting by videotape, calling the Southern Baptists "faithful servants" and asking God to bless them. _11,12

2006-Fall: The Baptist Press reported that almost half of the state conventions passed a resolution excluding recommending that same-sex couples continue to be denied access to marriage, and/or expressed concern at support of homosexuals by corporations. Statements were passed in the state conventions of Alabama, Colorado, the Dakotas, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico and the Northwest supporting state or national anti-same sex marriage laws. In Colorado, a resolution opposed laws on domestic relationships. The convention in  Oklahoma passed a resolution asking that businesses, organizations and governments restrict their grants to two types of families: those headed by one man and one woman, and those headed by a single-parent. The convention in Arkansas passed a resolution opposed foster or adoptive parenting by same-sex couples. 13

2009-JUN-23: TX: Fort Worth church kicked out of Southern Baptists: The Southern Baptist Convention has terminated its 127 year relationship with the Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX. The reason is that the congregation is too lenient with GLBT members. The messengers (delegates) to the convention were not allowed to be seated. Kathy Madeja, chairperson of the congregation's board of deacons said: "We do not believe Broadway has taken any action which would justify its being deemed not in friendly cooperation with the SBC. It is unfortunate that the Southern Baptist Convention decided otherwise and severed its affiliation with Broadway Baptist Church." Earlier, the Rev. Jorene Taylor Swift, a Broadway minister, wrote a letter to the denomination's executive committee stating: "We are not a church where homosexuality is a defining issue. While we extend hospitality to everyone ? including homosexuals ? we do not endorse, approve or affirm homosexual behavior." 14

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Article, Knoxville News-Sentinel, Knoxville TN, 1997-MAR-9
2. James C. Waller, "In the Middle of Sodom and Gomorrah": Raleigh-Area Churches and the Homosexuality Issue, at http://www.uts.columbia.edu/ This essay describes a gradual evolution of belief within two SBC congregations on the "homosexual issue".
3. Tom Strode, "Church leaders endorse ENDA; SBC rep decries their defense" at: http://www.erlc.com/
4. The Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission maintains a list of links on homosexual topics at: http://www.erlc.com/
5. Ken Walker, "American Airlines official boasts of homosexual marketing efforts," Baptist Press, 1999-JUN.
6. Tom Strode, "SBC resolution rebukes Clinton for 'gay pride' proclamation," Baptist Press 1999-JUN-16
7. Art Toalston, "Southern Baptist leaders wrongly noted in AP account of Jimmy Allen's speech." at: http://www.sbc.net/
8. Current news summary for 1999-JUL-20, ReligionToday.com
9. Adelle Banks, "Baptists say yes to death penalty, no to women pastors,"
   Religion News Service, 2000-JUN-16
10. Mark Kelly, "Oppose sin, but love sinners, ex-homosexuals tell Baptists," at: http://www.sbcannualmeeting.org/ 
11. "Southern Baptists Announce Initiative to 'Convert' Gays," at: http://www.communitiesbychoice.org/
12. Nevin Jefferson, "Jesus, protect us from Your followers," Seattle Gay News Online, 2003-JUL-3.
13. Tammi Reed Ledbetter, "WRAP-UP: Conventions urge ministry in schools, not 'exit strategy'," Baptist Press, 2006-DEC-07, at: http://www.bpnews.net/
14. Lee Williamns & Bill Miller, "Broadway Baptist kicked out of Southern Baptist Convention," The Star Telegram, 2009-JUN-23, at: http://www.star-telegram.com/

Copyright 1997 to 2009 Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2009-JUN-30
Author: B.A. Robinson

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