INDIANAPOLIS – Messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis urged churches to maintain a regenerate membership by “acknowledging the necessity of spiritual regeneration and Christ’s lordship for all members.”
The resolution, which brought much discussion June 11 on several amendments in regards to church discipline and repentance, also urged churches and pastors to implement a plan to minister to, counsel, and restore wayward church members and to strive to maintain accurate church rolls.
The messengers also denounced the recent California Supreme Court decision to strike down a ban on same sex-marriages, declaring it to be a “terrible wrong” that has been forced upon the people of California.
An amendment offered by a California messenger encouraging parents to remove their children from public schools in the state, which he saw as a “main training ground” for sex education, was unsuccessful. While several messengers spoke in favor of the motion, asserting that not to do so amounted to “cultural abdication,” Resolution Committee member Michael Martin of California discouraged messengers from removing the Christian witness of Southern Baptist children and teachers from the schools.
“Do not underestimate our children in the public school system,” urged a messenger, who identified herself as a schoolteacher. “They can make a difference,” she added, to loud applause.
In other resolutions passed during Wednesday’s business sessions, messengers expressed their resolve to:
? Encourage all SBC entities, state conventions and associations to identify ethnic church leaders to serve on boards, committees and programs of the denomination.
? Recognize the 60th anniversary of Israel as a sovereign nation and pledge their prayers for peace for Jerusalem, calling upon world leaders to renounce a growing tide of anti-Semitism.
? Affirm the use of the word “Christmas” in public life, by denouncing the great pressure being exerted on schools, communities, businesses, and other public institutions to replace it with a term such as “Winter Celebration” or “Holiday Festival.”
? Plead with all Christians to exercise vigorously their responsibilities to register to vote, educate themselves about civic issues, and to vote their biblical convictions and values; and urged Southern Baptists to participate in the 40/40 Prayer Vigil for national renewal, jointly sponsored by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and the North American Mission Board.
? Decry the “immoral actions” of Planned Parenthood clinics across America, calling on the U.S. Congress to defund the nation’s largest abortion provider and President Bush to veto any requests for federal subsidies. The statement noted that Planned Parenthood has a launched a massive campaign to mobilize votes, recruit legislative lobbyists, and promote candidates who support its agenda of unlimited abortion, sex outside of marriage, and value-free sex education in public schools; and
? Applaud the work and ministry of the Royal Ambassador organization as it observes its centennial year. The resolution affirmed the church-based missions organization for “educating at least 2 million boys in biblical missionary principles and winning tens of thousands to faith in Christ” through chapter meetings, camps and activities.