Decision on ‘gay’ couples in church directory delayed
- Dec 10, 2007 - 15
FORT WORTH—Members of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth voted Dec. 2 to delay a decision on whether or not to include homosexual members as couples in a church pictorial directory.
Baptist Press broke the story of the church contention on Nov. 6. Multiple news outlets reported on the church’s decision to refer the matter to the deacons for a recommendation by Feb. 4.
“We do not want to rush to make a decision, but rather to continue to listen to each other and for God’s leading to our church,” Deacon Chairman Kathy Madeja said in a statement. “Our members have diverse opinions about many things, but what we have in common is our love for God, the church and each other.”
Pastor Brett Younger addressed the issue from the pulpit Dec. 2.
In comments drawn from sermon audio posted on the church website, Younger said: “Some of the most committed Christians in our congregation are baffled by this whole episode. They are seeking the best they know how to be faithful to Scripture and follow Jesus. They’ve been taught all of their lives what the Bible says on this issue, and those who read the Scripture in a different way don’t seem to be taking the Bible seriously.
“The verses in Leviticus seem straightforward on homosexuality. How can the majority opinion throughout 2,000 years of church history suddenly be wrong? It’s hard for these gracious Christians to understand how anyone could disagree.”
“But there are other thoughtful Christians who feel differently,” Younger continued. “They are seeking the best they know how to be faithful to Scripture and follow Jesus. They know the Bible has been used to defend polygamy, slavery and the oppression of women. We look at the compassion of Jesus and the way that he included everybody and it seems clear that we should do the same. How can anyone who knows Jesus believe God condemns people for the way they were born? It’s hard for these gracious Christians to understand how anyone could disagree.”
Inevitably, some church members would be disappointed, Younger said, but hope lies in Jesus and in realizing the battle belongs to God. In the end, God’s people will “serve together in the unity of God’s diversity,” he said.
Younger closed by saying that some day “we will be set free to live with compassion and kindness” and “celebrate the truth that there is no one beyond the love of God, no one who is not a cherished child of God, no one for whom Jesus did not die, and no one who is not welcome at this table. We long for the day that God will make everything right.”
The church is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Tarrant Baptist Association and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
In a statement to the church in October, Younger praised how Broadway had handled the issue of homosexuality among church members.
“Broadway has for years had an amazing policy on including gay people. It’s not a policy that a committee came up with, or the staff or the deacons. It’s an unwritten policy that came out of the shared life of this congregation, a policy I believe was inspired by the Spirit,” he said. “This church has for a long time included both gay people who are committed to Christ and members who aren’t affirming and who have serious questions, but who are willing to share the church. This has allowed us to be a congregation where the conversation can take place about being gay and being Christians.”
A former Broadway pastor was involved in bringing Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to Fort Worth, but in recent decades the church has been led by Baptist moderates. Cecil Sherman, the first executive director of the moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, came to that post after serving as pastor at Broadway from 1985-92.
This article is reprinted from the December 10, 2007, issue of the Southern Baptist TEXAN, the newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Further Learning
Learn more about: Family, Sexual Purity, Homosexuality
15 comments (post your own) feed
1 On Dec 11th, 2007, at 2:54pm, Douglas New wrote:
Thank GOD they are NOT in the SBC. How sick!!! I guess if you ignore the Old and New Testament teachings on the subject, “everyone can do what they think is best in their own eyes” to paraphrase the Scriptures.
Surely we are close to the coming of Christ...I hope.
2 On Dec 11th, 2007, at 3:21pm, Kenneth Long wrote:
I wonder if it is a typo or intentional that the name Jesus was not capitalized in the article? Obviously this church started down a slippery slope a long time ago as evidenced by the chairman of the deacons.
3 On Dec 11th, 2007, at 3:31pm, Jerry wrote:
Once again we see demonstrated: “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.” (I John 3:19, HCSB)
4 On Dec 11th, 2007, at 5:06pm, Sharon wrote:
The bottom line really is, are people born gay? That has never been proven and I don’t believe it’s true. If that was the case, then can we people are born pedophiles? How about people born with a desire for animalism? Where does it stop?
5 On Dec 11th, 2007, at 6:12pm, Mike wrote:
God mayed very clear what he thought of homosexuality with Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible makes clear how Christians should turn away from sin and not hold their fist up in God’s face, and say “I know homosexuality is sin, but accept it, I am not going to change, even if your word says so!” How can someone say they are a Christian and not have the desire through the holy spirit, not want to turn away from the sin of Homosexuality? Jesus showed his compassion and love for the woman caught in Adultry, but as you recall, in refering to the Adultry, he said “Go and sin no more.” I will keep praying for that church and pastor.
6 On Dec 11th, 2007, at 8:16pm, Randy Smith wrote:
It is truly sad to see compromise in the church. In the name of tolerance sins that were once openly condemned are now openly welcomed. We are not free to declare a lifestyle, condemned throughout Scripture, to be normal and acceptable in the church when God’s Word plainly states otherwise. You can use words such as compassion, tolerance, love, etc, but God’s command to the believer is to forsake the life of sin that once bound him. God does not condone homosexuality nor did He create anyone as a homosexual! It is a choice and it is a direct violation of God’s created order and His intent for man and woman since the beginning of creation!
7 On Dec 12th, 2007, at 7:28am, Kermit wrote:
The idea that people are “born” homosexual is, at best, without proof. To go directly against scripture using such a basis, along with an attempt to “understand” the homosexual mind, appears Christ-like, but is simply wrong. One cannot “understand” how the homosexual mind works because it is not rational. That is the nature of any sin - it makes no sense. Homosexuals need Christian love, but in the form of a compassionate application of the solution to ALL sin - repentance and faith in Christ. Repentance always precedes forgiveness and without it, relationship with God is impossible. Do the right thing, love them enough to risk becoming misunderstood by them.
8 On Dec 12th, 2007, at 8:26am, Rolando Castro wrote:
The love for gay people is out of question. As the church of Jesus Christ we have to love everybody and preach the gospel to every creature, but the intention of that is to see transformed lives not just justify the sin, because as the church of Jesus Christ we are called to tell the truth.
If homosexuality is a birth condition, then the Bible is wrong calling it a sin, and if this is true, all our faith is based in a text with mistakes on it. Who will decide what part of the Bible is right and what is not?
9 On Dec 12th, 2007, at 12:05pm, Kathy wrote:
Amen! I agree wholeheartedly with the comments to this point. When are we Christians going to learn that to love others as Jesus loves us, we must tell them the TRUTH? A person canNOT be committed to Christ with their mind, heart, strength, and spirit and at the same time be homosexual. Broadway Baptist Church’s unwritten policy concerning homosexual members,”...a policy I believe was inspired by the Spirit,"(Brett Younger) had to be inspired by an evil spirit, Satan himself. As Christians we must be careful about attributing works of the devil to God and works of the HOLY Spirit to satan.
10 On Dec 12th, 2007, at 3:27pm, Kermit wrote:
Kathy put it right. The Holy Spirit will not lead a Christian to do anything that is contrary to the scripture; much less come to a conclusion that is contrary. The Holy Spirit’s job is to “lead (us) into all truth...” He will not lead us otherwise. When we know the truth, we must speak it and live it “in love.” We must also remember that sin is sin with God: it is ALL disobedience & rebellion. Not a single Christian can ever take a self-righteous attitude with homosexuals, because our particular weakness is still sin in God’s eyes. The ground is level at the foot of the cross: we stand on the same ground as sinners as homosexuals do. The Christian’s salvation is Jesus. The homosexual’s salvation is Jesus. So be it.
11 On Dec 13th, 2007, at 6:57am, Dan Valdes wrote:
“The verses in Leviticus seem straightforward on homosexuality. How can the majority opinion throughout 2,000 years of church history suddenly be wrong? It’s hard for these gracious Christians to understand how anyone could disagree.”
Leviticus 20:13
NLT: (New Living Translation): “The penalty for homosexual acts is death to both parties. They have committed a detestable act, and are guilty of a capital offense.”
How can 2,000 years of church history be wrong? You tell me.
12 On Dec 13th, 2007, at 7:05am, Dan Valdes wrote:
Leviticus 20:9 (King James Version)
9For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
Leviticus 20:10 (King James Version)
10And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
13 On Dec 13th, 2007, at 10:31pm, Kermit wrote:
Let’s all remember that Jesus precisely defined adultery as the plan as well as the event. How many men out there are not guilty of adultery according to the definition of Jesus? One cannot cast a stone without hitting a sinner; especially when it is thrown straight up. Be careful that we do not become the judges who have failed to take a good look in the mirror from the book of James. The only person who could be truly self-righteous is Jesus; the rest of us are all the same - sinners. Homosexuality is wrong according to the Bible, but you and I did not write it.
14 On Dec 14th, 2007, at 12:07am, Helen PTH wrote:
Let me see if this reasoning can be justified. A church that thinks homosexual behavior is OK because they must have been born that way, so they can be members and stay homsexual; then the alcoholic is OK to be in the church and continue to be an alcoholic, the liar can be a church member and that’s OK, because God loves all people. Then the drug addict can be a member and come to church high and that’s OK because God loves them. He loves the pedofile, beastality, fornicators, adultry and those who choose to just live together. God loves all of them. It’s alright to curse some too, and covet, it’s all Ok because God loves us all. What kind of a church is that that does not define sin. Would you want to be a part of that church? Yes, God loves everyone, but Jesus died that we might have our sins forgiven not continue to wallow in them and say we belong to God. Come and be apart from the world, be different, be like Jesus. What’s going on in churches?
15 On Dec 19th, 2007, at 8:00am, Rick wrote:
I do not believe most people truly love God as God and LORD,as is command in the Textus Receptus the text the old King James was taken out of.When we start using other text that take away from the deity of our LORD Jesus Christ we will stray from the truth of God. All sin is sin to God. And we must see sin as sin, I am a sinner saved by grace. Remember Jesus died on the cross to set all mankind free from sin. We will still sin but we do not have to, no matter if your sin is not loving Jesus Christ or it is loving being sexual with the same sex. We do not need hate crimes bills for them and we forsure do not need to try and change God’s scripture for them. Let God’s words stand for all so the whosoevers can come to a saving Christ. Let us love the sinner and hate all sin.