Ginter Park Baptist Church ordained a gay man as a minister in September. This is creating a stir among Baptist organizations in Virginia.
The Richmond Baptist Association, on Sunday, Oct. 21, created a committee to study the association’s relationship with Ginter Park Baptist Church and report to the April RBA meeting. This approach postpones the conversation and demonstrates the RBA desires a deliberate and thoughtful process.
The Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s executive committee took another approach; it simply noted the church’s actions were outside the parameters of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and asked the church to withdraw before the end of the year. If the church does not withdraw the BGAV will no longer receive its financial gifts, effectively dismissing the church.
Ron Crawford
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Every Baptist body has the right to set its own membership policy and this is not really open for other Baptist bodies to judge. The BGAV is not defining what is right for the larger state of Virginia or what is appropriate as federal policy. It is addressing the parameters of membership in the BGAV.
For some, this issue is mostly one of integrity and loyalty to a particular way of interpreting Scripture. Others see this as primarily an issue about church autonomy. I think the issue is more complex, and yet simpler.
The BGAV is struggling with membership, identifying those who are “in” and those who are “out.” The BGAV is saying, “We are not willing to cooperate with churches that ordain a gay person as a minister.” This is drawing a membership line. To a church that is presently “in the family” or “on the team” the BGAV is saying, “Not anymore.”
The BGAV has been abundantly clear about its view of homosexuality; see the 1993 resolution approved by the General Association. In spite of its clear view, if a local church wants to cooperate with the BGAV’s ministries and work — let it! When the BGAV accepts financial gifts from a church there is no implicit affirmation of the church’s theology or practice — never has been.
My personal contention is the “tie that binds” is a bit too tight around the waist. Ginter Park Baptist Church is one, only one, of 1,400 BGAV churches. One “unique” church does not spoil the bushel of apples. One “unique” church does not somehow side-track the whole of the General Association. Ginter Park Baptist Church is expressing what she understands to be her calling and place in ministry. Why not just let her be?
The decision about Ginter Park Baptist presents a question about the BGAV’s capacity for dissent. With whom will the BGAV cooperate? How much is too much?
I think the tie that binds is a bit tight around the waist.
Ron Crawford ([email protected]) is president of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.