Can known homosexuals join any Southern Baptist church?

[Agnostic75]

I'm not a Mormon. I answered the other because I am a Baptist- not a Southern Baptist, but a Baptist nonetheless.

Thank you. It is encourging that homosexuals continue to gain acceptance by Christian churches as a whole worldwide.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Thank you. It is encourging that homosexuals continue to gain acceptance by Christian churches as a whole worldwide.

Full acceptance is inevitable for two reasons:

1) GLBT folks are openly contributing to every aspect of society - doctors, lawyers, soldiers, and all other professions, including academics and ministry. So the GLBT folks are telling us how society is oppressing them in a loud, intelligent, and constant voice

2) Because GLBT life is acceptable to society, it will be acceptable in the church because the people of the church are used to being accepting of GLBT outside the church and will see the injustice of anything less in the church.

GLBT equality is an unstoppable force. It would be great if churches were leaders in this movement.

 

[Agnostic75]

Deletion of unnecessary post.

 

[Apex]

What about Mormon churches?

Did you miss post #72?

 

[Agnostic75]

Did you miss post #72?

I just read it. Wasn't Kirby a Mormon bishop's executive secretary, not a member of a Mormon church.

I just found some evidence at Openly Gay Mormon Appointed to LDS Church Leadership Position | Religion Dispatches that appears to show that a gay Mormon man was asked to serve in a Mormon church leadership position. That is very encouraging, but probably pretty rare.

 

[Apex]

I just read it. Wasn't Kirby a Mormon bishop's executive secretary, not a member of a Mormon church.

I just found some evidence at Openly Gay Mormon Appointed to LDS Church Leadership Position | Religion Dispatches that appears to show that a gay Mormon man was asked to serve in a Mormon church leadership position. That is very encouraging, but probably pretty rare.

Um, I think you misunderstood the two different articles. They are about the exact same person...

 

[Agnostic75]

Um, I think you misunderstood the two different articles. They are about the exact same person...

I just found out that I did not read far enough down the page regarding the article that you mentioned. That is very encouraging, but isn't it quite rare?

At any rate, it appears that Mormons are way ahead of Southern Baptists regarding this issue. Keep up the good work.

 

[Agnostic75]

SBC Committee Decides against Expelling Members of Pro-Gay Bapist Alliance, Christian News

In 2009, the SBC voted to oust Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas when it discovered that the church allowed openly gay members to hold leadership positions. Broadway Baptist Church last fall ended its 125-year-old affiliation with the General Baptist Convention of Texas.

And just last month, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary severed its 14-year affiliation with the Tarrant Baptist Association because it said the latter has a member church or churches that do not adhere to the SBC position that homosexuality is a sin.

Tarrant Baptist Association has 395 member churches, according to its website.

The SBC Executive Committee’s recommendation will be a formal motion at the annual SBC meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., June 14-15.

Southern Baptists Convention fighting 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal - Democratic Underground

2010

The Southern Baptist Convention is battling the expected repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" on a number of fronts: Its agencies are contacting members of Congress and the Pentagon; retired chaplains are sending letters to President Obama; and a resolution adopted at the denomination's annual meeting in Orlando this week condemns allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

About Us - Basic Beliefs

.......the Southern Baptist Convention is not in a position to take any disciplinary action regarding pastors or churches. Again, because of the autonomy of the local church, each SBC church is responsible before God to set its own policies regarding pastors or problems in the church. Such policies are entirely up to the individual congregation.

According to our constitution, if a church no longer makes a bona fide contribution to the Convention's work, or if it acts to "affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior," it no longer complies with the Constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention and is not permitted to send messengers to the annual meeting. These, however, are the only explicitly stated instances in which the SBC has the prerogative to take action. Failure to remain in "friendly cooperation" would also disqualify a church from sending messengers, and is obviously more of a subjective test.

 

[fallingblood]

Do you really think that's possible?

I hate a lot of actions, ranging from child molestation to people misquoting me on the forums. I don't understand how we can hate the sin and not the sinner, because our self-identification and our understanding of others is based on what people do. In fact, the things that people do is the only thing that we really know about them - we can't read minds or understand hearts - but we can interpret actions.

Because of this, I think that the "hate the sin" maxim is nothing more than a justification to misrepresent hatred for "the sinner" as love for "the sinner". So many churches hate homosexuals and try to rehabilitate them rather than love them for who they are (which is what they do).

I completely agree. But I think the idea of hating the sin allows such groups to, at the same time, see no contradiction in allowing the "sinner" join their group or church.

 

[fallingblood]

I meant "assumed to be practicing." If a gay man talks about having sex with another man, most churches would assume that he is a practicing homosexual.

Again, openly gay men can be celibate as well. I know a few.

I assume that any openly gay man who publically promotes gay rights would not be allowed to join any Southern Baptist church, and that any exceptions would be very rare.

And this assumption is based on what? You simply assume way to much without supporting your assumptions.

 

[fallingblood]

Message to fallingblood: You questioned the actual size of the Southern Baptist Convention. They claim to have over 16,000,000 members, and over 44,000 thousand churches. Even if they deliberately, or inadvertently overestimated their size, they are still the largest Protestant church in the U.S., and almost certainly have at least 10 million members, and have a lot of political influence in some states.

Actually, the Methodist Church may have more. The actual size of the SBC is probably closer to 6 million (as in, that is how many people actually attend). And it may be even less then that. They are also a declining group.

More so, again, their churches are autonomous.

 

[Agnostic75]

SBC Committee Decides against Expelling Members of Pro-Gay Bapist Alliance, Christian News

In 2009, the SBC voted to oust Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas when it discovered that the church allowed openly gay members to hold leadership positions. Broadway Baptist Church last fall ended its 125-year-old affiliation with the General Baptist Convention of Texas.

And just last month, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary severed its 14-year affiliation with the Tarrant Baptist Association because it said the latter has a member church or churches that do not adhere to the SBC position that homosexuality is a sin.

Tarrant Baptist Association has 395 member churches, according to its website.

The SBC Executive Committee’s recommendation will be a formal motion at the annual SBC meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., June 14-15.

Southern Baptists Convention fighting 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal - Democratic Underground

2010

The Southern Baptist Convention is battling the expected repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" on a number of fronts: Its agencies are contacting members of Congress and the Pentagon; retired chaplains are sending letters to President Obama; and a resolution adopted at the denomination's annual meeting in Orlando this week condemns allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

About Us - Basic Beliefs

.......the Southern Baptist Convention is not in a position to take any disciplinary action regarding pastors or churches. Again, because of the autonomy of the local church, each SBC church is responsible before God to set its own policies regarding pastors or problems in the church. Such policies are entirely up to the individual congregation.

According to our constitution, if a church no longer makes a bona fide contribution to the Convention's work, or if it acts to "affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior," it no longer complies with the Constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention and is not permitted to send messengers to the annual meeting. These, however, are the only explicitly stated instances in which the SBC has the prerogative to take action. Failure to remain in "friendly cooperation" would also disqualify a church from sending messengers, and is obviously more of a subjective test.

 

[fallingblood]

Message to fallingblood: The title of this thread is "Can known honmosexuals join any Southern Baptist church?" Do you know of any such Southern Baptist churches? If there are some exceptions, I assume that they are very rare.

I know the title of the thread as you have repeated it over and over again, as if we really forgotten. And I may not know such a Southern Baptist church (I live in North Dakota, not many baptists here in the first place), but others have posted either individuals, or churches.

Even if the Southern Baptist church exaggerated its claim that is has over 16 million members, and 44,000 congregations, they probably have at least 10 million members.

They have more like 6 million. Wiki will even suggest this. And actually, probably less. But there are about 6 million who actually attend.

Based upon the following evidence, I believe that the Southern Baptist Convention does not allow any of its member churches to allow openly homosexual people to become church members.

Yet A_E showed you otherwise, and you just ignored it.


The problem here is that you are willfully ignoring anything that is contrary to your belief (which is based on faith or a desire), and just repeating the same ignorance. That is not a good tactic.

 

[sojourner]

Y'know... I've been mulling over the OP, and I gotta ask this question: Why would they want to???

 

[Agnostic75]

Actually, the Methodist Church may have more. The actual size of the SBC is probably closer to 6 million (as in, that is how many people actually attend).

Based upon what evidence?

Even six million people is a lot of people, especially when you add the number of members of individual Christian churches in other denominations that do not allow openly homosexual people to become church members.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Y'know... I've been mulling over the OP, and I gotta ask this question: Why would they want to???

Family tradition mostly. They want to be a part of the community their family is deeply involved in and they were raised in.

 

[Agnostic75]

I know the title of the thread as you have repeated it over and over again, as if we really forgotten. And I may not know such a Southern Baptist church (I live in North Dakota, not many baptists here in the first place), but others have posted either individuals, or churches.

I am not aware of anyone who has mentioned a Southern Baptist church that currently allows openly homosexual people to become church members. If there are any such churches, I assume that they are very rare exceptions.

Actually, the Methodist Church may have more. The actual size of the SBC is probably closer to 6 million (as in, that is how many people actually attend).

Based upon what evidence?

The SBC estimates over 16 million members. Even six million people is a lot of people, especially when you add to that the number of members of individual Christian churches in other denominations that do not allow openly homosexual people to become church members. There is no doubt that many millions of American Christians oppose homosexuality, and same-sex marriage primarily, or solely, on biblical grounds. It just so happens that a large percentage of Protestant Christian opponents are Southern Baptists.

 

[sojourner]

Family tradition mostly. They want to be a part of the community their family is deeply involved in and they were raised in.

My wife (who's not gay, BTW) war reared Southern Baptist. Her family remains SB, and she had to get the heck out. When it comes to spiritual sanity, all bets are off!

 

[Agnostic75]

I know the title of the thread as you have repeated it over and over again, as if we really forgotten. And I may not know such a Southern Baptist church (I live in North Dakota, not many baptists here in the first place), but others have posted either individuals, or churches.

I am not aware of anyone who has mentioned a Southern Baptist church that currently allows openly homosexual people to become church members. If there are any such churches, I assume that they are very rare exceptions.

They have more like 6 million. Wiki will even suggest this. And actually, probably less. But there are about 6 million who actually attend.

Wikipedia says:

The SBC claims to have more than 16.6 million members in 44,000 churches throughout the US. One internal study by the SBC shows that on average 38 percent of the membership (6,138,776 members, guests and non-member children) attend their churches' primary worship services. Southern Baptists do not track church attendance by numbers in the primary worship service; they track attendance through participation in Sunday School, which 4,154,270 Convention members (less than 26 percent of SBC total membership) attend. Sunday School enrollment in the United States decreased by 123,817 members between 2007 and 2008.

Pew Forum: Baptists' Place in American Religion

June 18, 2009

Two of the largest Baptist denominations in the U.S. -- the Southern Baptist Convention and the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. -- will hold national meetings in late June. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, finds that Baptists represent the largest Protestant denominational family in the U.S., making up about one-sixth (17.2%) of the total U.S. adult population.

Data from the Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted May 8 to Aug. 13, 2007, among 35,556 American adults; released in 2008. Due to rounding, nested figures may not add to the subtotal indicated.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

My wife (who's not gay, BTW) war reared Southern Baptist. Her family remains SB, and she had to get the heck out. When it comes to spiritual sanity, all bets are off!

Yep, I had to get out myself. For some its more comfortable to stay in the tradition.