REPORT ON JERUSALEM COUNCIL PROCESS IN THE AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES OF THE SOUTH

Date: Friday, April 29, 2005, during annual meeting of ABCOTS

Location: Wyndham Hotel, Baltimore

Facilitators: Senator Willie Hall (LA) and Executive Director Kate Harvey

Participants: A total of 70+ participants at various times during the gathering

Observations:

ABCOTS Senator Debra Hickman began the time by reading Acts 15:1-35 and requesting reflection on the text of the original Jerusalem Council that made a decision in a time of conflict during the early life of the Church. Willie Hall provided guidelines for the process and Kate Harvey gave background information about the Ministers Council and the events that have led to a proposed bylaws amendment to be voted at the August 2005 Senate meeting.

Participants represented the broad continuum of perspectives on the issue of homosexuality. The traditional viewpoint was most highly represented but Baptist polity issues were addressed by many. Participants expressed concern that they had not known the situation and precipitating events, and desired further time at a near future date to deal with the subject more adequately than the afternoon of the region’s annual meeting allowed.

Feedback:

• This is not our issue as a Ministers Council. It belongs with the churches and regions, and if within the ABC a congregation ordains and a region recognizes, then a duly ordained and recognized clergyperson elected by a constituent Council that person should be seated on the Senate.
• How many other amendments will be added? Whoever is without sin, let that one cast the first stone.
• The Ministers Council is an autonomous body and should deal with its own business, and leave the General Board to deal with it for ABC as a whole.
• We need Jesus to come and write in the sand to settle some issues.
• The Senate should tell the national leadership that this is not a new issue, that there is tension between God’s sovereignty and human will, and we must be accountable to God.
• What is wrong with pluralism?
• The point is moot since we have congregational autonomy; majority may make a statement but Baptists always say, “You have the right to do what I do not like.” When some cannot abide a practice of another congregation, they leave, just as Paul and Barnabas split.
• We wish that we could live with these differences and let congregations join other regions when dismissed, but the pot has been stirred by the Ministers Councils of TABCOM and PSW, forcing us to be reactive and take a stand.
• As ABC preachers we should believe in the integrity of Scripture, which clearly calls the practice of homosexuality sin, but do not turn our backs on homosexuals.
• The power of prayer: God is able to lead us if we do not know how to proceed. We should take one week to pray on what to say to the Senate.
• One sin is no different from others. Are we going to send any sinner out?
• Get to know gay and lesbian persons and you will not experience them as sinful or sick but created by God to live in integrity. There are other ways to interpret the Scripture in question.
• Stewardship of time; every issue is being laid at the doorstep of the church. The key of the text about Jesus saying, “Let whoever is without sin cast the first stone” was the time he spent writing on the ground before he gave an answer. Go home, study, come back to discuss.
• This conflict is not good news for churches in other countries, where converts would be appalled.
• As Christians we must draw the line between tolerance and acceptance. Acceptance means implication of acceptance and we must stand on helping people not sin.
• This issue brings us to talk but there are so many other things more important.
• Those who want to call homosexuality a sin think they are better. We are all sinners but lovable. ABC will have to wrestle with this and cannot affirm sin.
• Some years ago they said Africans were not human and 60 million persons were lost in the Middle Passage. We must affirm the human dignity of every person. How many will we lose in our own families? Let that person remain on the Senate.