After attending/voting at the Baptist General Association of Virginia 2012 annual meeting in Roanoke on the recent issue regarding Ginter Park Baptist Church with their ordination of an openly homosexual man, I feel that many will weigh in with a myriad of opinions regarding the viewpoints of such a decision.
I, as did several pastors also in attendance, couldn’t help but reflect upon the vast and bold statement that such a vote proclaimed. Many on the liberal side would have one believe that their numbers are the overwhelming majority of Christians in today’s culture and that we must become more open and more loving by accepting divergent viewpoints. But is their loud and clanging voice the real opinion of the majority of Christians today?
Lee Cooper
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A simple look at the voting numbers will give clear evidence that this is not the case. With a 426 to 164 vote, the messengers at the BGAV meeting made their voice clearly heard. That means that 72 percent voted at the BGAV meeting to affirm the executive committee’s decision to request that Ginter Park willingly withdraw from the state convention if they would not rescind their decision in this matter.
This is by far the more important statement that will come out of the 2012 BGAV meeting. Simply this — that the majority of Virginia Baptists do not affirm this divergent belief and acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle and that it is resoundingly seen as sin according to God’s Word, no matter how loudly a small group claims it is not.
The majority has spoken. They have spoken clearly and it is high time for people to realize that God’s inerrant Word is still supreme. God has spoken; it is not up for debate when he speaks clearly. Let us in the majority be encouraged and no longer intimidated by the clanging gongs no matter how loudly they sound. Let us remember clearly what is stated in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
The itching ears will say that they speak for the majority, but they do not. Let us remain firm on God and his Word forever and ever.
Lee Cooper (pastor@huntingcreekbaptist.org) is pastor of Hunting Creek Baptist Church in Nathalie, Va.