N.C. Baptists Toughen
Policy On Gays
AP from nbc71.com
from the Web, May 25, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Baptist
State Convention of North Carolina toughened its policy on churches or affiliate
groups that welcome gays, proposing a new policy that says they may no longer be
eligible for membership.
The policy, proposed by the convention's board of directors at its meeting this
week in Asheboro, would forbid churches from ordaining gay clergy, making public
statements supporting homosexuality or accepting as members people who have
refused to "repent of the sin of homosexual behavior."
The policy must be ratified at the convention's annual meeting in November.
The convention, with about 4,000 affiliated churches, has been taking steps to
tighten its policy against homosexuality for several years. In 1992, it
adopted a financial policy that refused money for churches showing "public
approval, promotion or blessing of homosexuality."
At last November's annual meeting, delegates asked the board of directors to
gauge the stance of individual churches on homosexuality, adding that standard
to the question of whether a church is "in friendly cooperation" with the
convention.
Board president Don Warren said he "absolutely" believes convention delegates
will approve the policy.
"We believe homosexuality is sin, as are many others," Warren said. "But
we are not aware of any other sin that has a national organization that promotes
its happening beginning in kindergarten and first grade."
The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina is the largest denominational
body in the state and, with 1.2 million members, the second-largest association
of Baptist churches in the nation.
About a half-dozen North Carolina churches stand to be affected by the policy.
Not all have publicly endorsed or supported gays, but they do affiliate with the
more liberal Alliance of Baptists.
That organization, based in Washington, D.C., welcomes gays as equal members.
In North Carolina, 21 churches affiliate with the alliance. Many have
already left the state convention.
"It was more a relief knowing we're not part of that anymore," said the Rev.
Randy Sherron, pastor of Greenwood Forest Baptist Church in Cary, which has
1,500 members. The church partners with the Alliance to help support a
church in Cuba.
Others that are still members of the state convention say they may make the same
break.
The policy is "one more way of carving out exclusions for God's children," said
the Rev. Mitch Simpson of University Baptist in Chapel Hill.
Stan Hastey, executive director of the Alliance of Baptists, said the board's
decision was saddening.
"All of us on the moderate side were proud to claim North Carolina as a bastion
of reasonable thinking and moderation," Hastey said. "It's clear now that
the convention has joined other state units in going fundamentalist."
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