c. 1998 Religion News Service
ATLANTA, Ga. _ The Georgia Baptist Convention will be asked in November to radically alter its constitution and bylaws to set new membership requirements excluding any churches that endorse homosexual behavior or charismatic styles of worship, such as speaking in tongues and”being slain in the Spirit.” The changes are being proposed by the state convention’s executive committee. Both are expected to pass, but not without opposition.
If approved, it would be the first time in the history of the 176-year-old state Baptist body that membership requirements other than financial contributions and”friendly cooperation with general purposes of the convention”are placed on local congregations.
One of the new proposals would eject from the Georgia convention any church which”knowingly takes, or has taken, any action to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior.” The other change is less specific. It would exclude any church which”separates itself from historic Baptist tenets through nonbiblical worship practices and theology which encourage members to speak in tongues, or participate in the practice of `being slain in the Spirit,’ or engage in worship practices that are divisive and disruptive and which exclude themselves from the scriptural expression of faith.” It is unclear how many congregations might be affected by the proposed changes. Baptist congregations in the state that have shown an openness to gays have generally already distanced themselves from the Southern Baptist Convention and the Georgia Baptist Convention but remain in fellowship with the local Atlanta association.
Gerald Harris, pastor of Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., and chair of the special membership committee that suggested the new requirements, told the Georgia Baptist Convention Executive Committee his committee was trying to”clarify what it means to be a New Testament church _ a Georgia Baptist church,”according to published reports about the meeting by Baptist news agencies.
Harris confessed to”a certain amount of fear and trepidation”in presenting the two changes, but added:”Our committee is not here to throw stones, but to lift up a standard of righteousness.” Frank Page, a pastor from Augusta, Ga., said”there are those who preach another gospel”in arguing for the proposed restriction against acceptance of charismatic practices in worship. The committee accepted, and made a part of its recommendation, a position paper Page had drafted, pointing out alleged dangers _ including departing from biblical standards _ of”reckless emotionalism”in worship.
Page specifically spoke against”emphasizing the gifts of tongues and healing as the pre-eminent spiritual gifts.”He also spoke against the notion of”being slain in the Spirit,”the so-called”laughing renewal”and”bizarre emotionalism in some churches in which animal noises and behavior are practiced.” In taking its stance against any form of homosexual endorsements by member churches, the Georgia Baptist leaders cited a position paper adopted a year ago. That paper called homosexuality”unnatural and a rebellion against God,”adding:”Practicing homosexuals are living in sin and, therefore, must not be ordained to the ministry. Homosexual unions and marriages must never be hallowed or sanctionedâÂ?¦The church must bear witness of the truth of scriptureâÂ?¦” In approving the proposals to be made to the convention during its meeting Nov. 17-18, the Georgia Baptist Convention Executive Committee set up a process by which”deviant”churches will be confronted and possibly removed from the”rights and privileges”of convention membership.
Reaction to the proposed constitutional changes was diverse.
William T. Neal, editor of the Georgia Baptist newspaper, The Christian Index, wrote:”The actions of the executive committee were reasonable, if not absolutely necessary … A very few Georgia Baptist churches have either elected practicing homosexuals as church leaders, or performed commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples. It is not a matter of the convention telling these churches what they can or cannot do, but if they want to call themselves members of the Georgia Baptist Convention, their actions reflect upon the body as a whole and send mixed signals to persons outside the church.” Neal conceded the restriction against charismatic worship will be”more problematic in its practical application than the portion that deals with homosexual behavior. …” Nelson Price, a leader of conservatives in Georgia, lauded the proposed restrictions, saying they are”compatible with the conventional Southern Baptist understanding of scriptural teaching on these issues.”Price is pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta and a former convention president.
He said if Georgia Baptists did not take such stands, they would”blur our distinctives”and”confuse the public regarding these Baptist distinctives.” However, Walker L. Knight of Decatur, another longtime Georgia Baptist leader took a different stance.”Sadly, the Georgia Baptist Convention Executive Committee continues in its history of being reactionary, acting in this instance in a similar way to its leaders who earlier supported slavery, and others who refused to acknowledge God’s call to women,”said Knight, a leader of the progressive wing of Southern Baptists.”Jesus Christ is a Savior of inclusiveness, not exclusiveness.” Knight is a 40-year member of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, long known as one of the most progressive Baptist churches in Georgia. The church has ordained known homosexuals and lesbians as deacons.
But Lanny Peters, the church’s pastor, said the proposal, if approved, will not affect Oakhurst.”We have not been members of the Georgia convention for a long time. If the Atlanta Baptist Association tries to oust us, that will be another story.” (OPTIONAL TRIM – STORY MAY END HERE)
Another church that could be targeted by the new restrictions is Virginia-Highlands Baptist in Atlanta. That church rents its sanctuary for weekly rehearsals of the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and it rented its sanctuary for a same-sex union-blessing ceremony last April, though no church members were involved.
Tim Shirley, the church’s pastor, said the proposed constitutional changers were another example of national and state leaders seeking”to once again interfere with the affairs of local and autonomous Baptist churches. This is a further step in eroding basic Baptist principles in the name of theological conformity and narrowly-defined interpretations of Scripture.” Virginia-Highland church disassociated itself from the Southern Baptist Convention in 1992 and makes no financial gifts to the Georgia convention. But Shirley said someone from convention offices somehow got a copy of the same-sex union-blessing ceremony held at Virginia-Highlands in April and he has been alerted by a convention employee that his church”will be dealt with.”The church does support Atlanta Baptist Association.
DEA END HARWELL
