Greene Hollowell
(The following article was first published on Dec 27th, 2015)
Recently the Pastor of a Richmond Baptist Church, in a sermon, opened the door for the church to consider allowing homosexuals (assume active) into their membership.
The Pastor stated marriage was changing from multiplying (having children) to being about love and commitment. He feels the need to open up membership with the decision of the Supreme Court legalizing homosexual marriages citing civil rights and his belief that homosexuals don’t choose their sexual orientation. In addition, he said Jesus never spoke about homosexuality.
Needing help in his decision making he conferred with key people (including deacons) to get their opinions. He asked them to choose 1 from 4 positions that would most likely align with their thoughts.
- Condemnation of homosexuality and exclude from membership.
- Tolerate, “don’t ask, don’t tell”
- Welcome in membership, but do not ordain nor marry.
- Complete acceptance- same rights and privileges of others.
When he averaged out the responses the number came out- two and one half- between Tolerate and Welcome.
The Pastor then asked them to vote-‘where should we be.’ The answer was 3- Welcome in membership.
Summing up he said the church had a ‘big tent’, a lot of people with different opinions. He felt the thing to do was to leave the judgment up to God and the Supreme Court.
In Light of Recent Events from Richmond’s First Baptist Church on Vimeo.
A number of years ago a smaller Baptist Church took a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ stance concerning admitting homosexuals in membership. (Remember President Bill Clinton and Gen. Colin Powell authored and forced this stance on the military. Later President Obama and Adm. Mullins imposed full acceptance.)
Most of the Mainline Protestant Churches have long ago accepted homosexuals in their membership.
Of the large Mainline Protestant denominations, only the Southern Baptist Convention churches have maintained a Biblical stance. In THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE 1963 edition, the only mention of sexual sin was the word ‘vice’. Back then, before the sexual revolution, homosexuals were considered perverted and so vile they were referred to as ‘unmentionables.’ When THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE was updated in 2000 they added the words- ‘oppose….all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality and pornography.’ In addition a section was added on THE FAMILY stating ‘Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.’
The Church was a Southern Baptist church for most of its history. A number of years ago they left the Southern Baptist and affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a liberal breakaway from the Southern Baptist, because they felt the Southern Baptist was too conservative in their beliefs of the basic fundamentals of the Christian faith and their opposition to abortion and homosexuality.
It is apparent that the church will open their membership to active homosexuals, WELCOME- but no ordination nor marrying. Does the church think it will end there?
Why these two stipulations, these exceptions? The homosexuals will want to know- Is there something wrong with active homosexuals that they are not fit to be ordained as deacons or ministers? Why not marry loving, committed homosexuals, what’s wrong with one of the males being designated as wife? The homosexuals are not going to take these exceptions lying down. The church will probably have to capitulate.
Of course there are other considerations the church will need to explore- some of the homosexuals might be pedophiles. Homosexuals make up 75% of the pedophiles. A lesson might be learned from the Catholic Church. Homosexual priest, protected by their Bishops, caused untold spiritual devastation with their assaults on the children. In addition they paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation as the outrages were brought to light, some churches taking bankruptcy. This is not to make light of the 25% heterosexuals pedophiles and the damage they do. There should be the same restrictions on them.
The church’s movement should not be too surprising when you consider the movement of the country. Consider the majority of the voting Americans support the Democratic Party, the party that pushes the homosexual agenda, second only to their support of abortion. However, you might think Christians and their churches would consider what God has directed in the HOLY BIBLE as opposed to the Supreme Court decisions. God is pretty definite in His descriptions of homosexuals, using the word abomination. In addition He states they will never enter the Kingdom of God.
Certainly the church should welcome homosexuals that have repented of their sinful actions and are committed to live a life according to the Word of God, just as every other sinner, including those committing adultery and fornication, should.
Greene Hollowell
VIRGINIA CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
8659 Staples Mill Road
Richmond, VA 23228
(804) 261-1570
