Two recent news stories caught my attention. The first was about the ongoing gerrymandering fight in Texas, and California’s counter-response through Proposition 50, which passed with strong support. Gerrymandering — manipulating district boundaries to give one group a political advantage — has…
My obituary for the Baptist General Convention of Texas
Losing something that once was valued and respected is painful. It doesn’t matter if it’s been circling the drain for years. When death finally comes, the grief is real. Such was the case for me recently with the Baptist General…
‘Not that kind of Baptist’
Editor’s note: Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas, is one of two churches recently expelled from the Baptist General Convention of Texas after being found out of compliance with the BGCT’s stance on sexuality. What follows here is the…
A lesson from the Philadelphia Flyers: When inclusion becomes exclusive
To champion sexuality and gender inclusion while denying respectful disagreement reeks of hypocrisy. Take the recent case of National Hockey League player Ivan Provorov, a defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers. For their Jan. 17 game against the Anaheim Ducks, the…
It’s time to stop using the Bible as a sacred weapon to oppress LGBTQ people
For the last 76 years, evangelicals have been using the Bible as a sacred weapon to oppress LGBTQ people. While many people are under the impression that the word “homosexuality” has “always been in the Bible,” the reality is that…
How a transgender woman found acceptance in a church shunned by the SBC
When Kim Cornwall moved from Minnesota to Georgia, she reached out to a number of churches to see if they would welcome her. Only one responded. That congregation, Towne View Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Ga., is now her church home….
The annoyance of unwanted experiences
Have you ever encountered a situation in which you were made to feel “less than” by someone? The incident may have occurred on a subway, in a restaurant, in the workplace or even at a worship service. The place where…
Michael Flynn’s vision for America would place U.S. alongside the likes of China, Myanmar and Afghanistan
If Michael Flynn and his followers get their way, the United States could join the ranks of China, Myanmar, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and a long list of other nations that ban minority religious traditions highlighted in a new survey by Pew…
Why I voted against the CBF Implementation Plan
I understand the need to be culturally sensitive when making hiring decisions, and I understand that applies whether you are sending missionaries to Nigeria or New Jersey. But the existing bylaws of the CBF leave those hiring decisions in the hands of the executive coordinator, and I trust Suzii Paynter. I trust her to be culturally sensitive, but I also trust her not to discriminate.
With new CBF policy, there’s space for some but not for all
I do not expect a denominational body to reinforce all aspects of my conscience any more than I expect a congregation to match my convictions in every way. Most people don’t expect a perfect match — just space to grow together. So I’m not bothered by a conviction that differs from mine. I am bothered by the centrality given to a conviction that makes no space.
CBF & LGBTQ Baptists: Thanks for the Illumination
Illumination makes things clearer for those willing to look where the light is shining. And these are a few lessons I’ve learned from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Illumination Project.
Breaking the ‘Four Fragile Freedoms’: A response to CBF’s decision on the Illumination Project’s recommendation
The recommendation was written by straight people for straight people. It was written by people who are not affected by the hiring policy for people who are not affected by it either. By including any language of exclusion in the hiring and implementation policies, they have chosen discrimination. It is a policy written from a place of privilege.