I usually find the opinion column by Lisa Cole Smith to be “cutting edge” and quite insightful.
Her “Missing the forest for the trees” is no less so, except for her statement that (as Virginia Baptists) “we missed an opportunity to get out ahead of the conflict.”
That ship sailed some time ago.
Back in the ’90s while pastor of Lynchburg’s First Baptist Church, I took public stands in supporting Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh after they were expelled from the Southern Baptist Convention for performing a gay union, and in refusing to support the SBC boycott of Disney for being “gay-friendly.” That was the time to get ahead of the conflict, but my other colleagues remained silent in the shadow of Jerry Falwell.
That was hardly my first encounter with Baptist discrimination.
When I was offered the call to become associate pastor of a Baptist church in Virginia in 1971, I was informed after the interview that the church had a racial policy in writing that stated “no member of the Negroe [sic] race shall be admitted for attendance or membership.” It took years to change that policy, and I dare say the consequences of that discrimination are still being felt.
Now, over 40 years later the Baptist General Association of Virginia has embraced discrimination again and made it clear that, not only are gays not welcome, but gay-friendly congregations are not to be admitted for membership.
How sad to see history repeat itself!
Ty Campbell, Raleigh