Messengers to the 188th South Carolina Baptist Convention annual meeting approved eight resolutions on social and family-values issues.
Full-text versions of all resolutions can be found at scbaptist.org/annualmeeting2008. Here are brief summaries:
1. Appreciation
Messengers voiced appreciation to the City of Columbia for its hospitality, to the staff, officers and committees of the South Carolina Baptist Convention for their leadership, and to God “for the privilege of being part of His family and servants in the cause of Jesus Christ.”
2. Disaster relief
Messengers expressed appreciation to all South Carolina Baptists who have served through convention-related disaster relief groups and pledged to continue a policy of not charging for relief work.
3. Affirming use of the word “Christmas”
Messengers resolved “that in the Christmas season we emphasize the birth of Jesus, the celebration of the incarnation, and the spirit of giving rather than receiving” in opposition to growing secularization of the holiday.
4. Family Worship at home
Messengers encouraged families to “recover – the lost act of Family Worship in their homes” and that pastors and LifeWay be encouraged to promote and publish family worship resources.
5. Christian persecution
In the face of persecution of Christians in parts of the world, messengers expressed their opposition to religious persecution in any form and encouraged federal elected officials to elevate religious liberty concerns to the highest priority in foreign policy.
6. Born-alive infant protection
Messengers resolved to “encourage our state legislators to pass a law that ensures efforts to sustain and protect life for infants born alive, especially those infants who survive an attempted abortion.”
7. Mainstream media
Messengers commended media outlets that promote positive or Christian family values, such as Sherwood Pictures, which produced “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof.” Messengers encouraged Christians to examine what media they allow in their homes.
8. Sunday activities
Messengers urged churches to “stress the importance of the proper use of the Lord’s Day” and asked parents to contact their state legislators and ask them to “sponsor or support legislation that would
prohibit public school events from being held on Sunday.”