The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee unanimously agreed Feb. 17 to continue to study whether the convention should remain affiliated with Broadway Baptist Church, a historic Fort Worth, Tex., congregation that was involved last year in a controversy over whether homosexual couples should be pictured in a church directory.
Broadway Baptist Church’s Jorene Taylor Swift, left foreground, talks to Executive Committee member Rick Lineberger, far right, as Broadway interim pastor Charles Johnson, second from left, speaks with Executive Committee member Jim Law. The Executive Committee voted Feb. 17 to continue studying whether the church is in friendly cooperation with the SBC.The Executive Committee began studying the church’s affiliation last year after a messenger at the SBC annual meeting in June made a motion that the convention declare Broadway Baptist not to be “in friendly cooperation” with the denomination. Article III of the SBC constitution states that churches “which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior” are not in friendly cooperation.
The church last February decided in a 294-182 vote to publish a directory without family portraits but with candid shots of members involved in various ministries and activities.
The Executive Committee agreed that the study should continue and that “further inquiries and continued communications with the church be made,” with the goal of “arriving at an appropriate report” to the convention at the June annual meeting in Louisville, Ky.
The church has about 1,400 members with 400 to 500 attendees on Sunday mornings.
A Jan. 27 letter the church sent to the Executive Committee stated in part: “Broadway has never taken any church action to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior. Broadway Baptist Church considers itself to be in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention and has every intention of remaining so.” It further stated, “While we extend Christian hospitality to everyone – including homosexuals – we do not endorse, approve, or affirm homosexual behavior.” The letter also said the church chose a directory without family portraits because it believed such an action would not send the message the church endorsed homosexuality. The letter was approved by the church’s deacons and presented to the church with no objections.
The church’s letter to the Executive Committee acknowledged that not every member of Broadway is “in agreement about the propriety of homosexual behavior or the language regarding homosexuality in Article XV of the current Baptist Faith and Message.” Regarding that issue, the Baptist Faith and Message says “Christians should oppose … all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography.”
The church has about five members who are homosexual, with two of them serving on committees. The five joined Broadway Baptist by letter from other churches, and it only later was discovered they were homosexual, committee members were told.
In other business, Executive Committee members:
– Approved a 2009-10 Cooperative Program Allocation budget of $204,385,592 for recommendation to the Southern Baptist Convention during its June 23-24 annual meeting in Louisville, Ky.
The proposed budget maintains current allocations to the convention’s ministries, including 50 percent of receipts to the International Mission Board and 22.79 percent to the North American Mission Board. The convention’s six seminaries will receive 21.92 percent. According to the seminary enrollment formula, Southern Seminary would receive 4.96 percent; Southwestern Seminary, 4.84 percent; New Orleans Seminary, 4.39 percent; Southeastern Seminary, 4.04 percent; Golden Gate Seminary, 1.80 percent; and Midwestern Seminary, 1.90 percent. (Cumulative numbers may not match the sum of individual seminary percentages due to rounding.)
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission would continue to receive 1.65 percent of the budget, while the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives would receive .24 percent.
The SBC operating budget, encompassing the SBC annual meeting costs, the work of the convention between annual meetings and the Executive Committee, would receive 3.40 percent of the CP budget.
– Approved a request by LifeWay Christian Resources to begin a new monthly magazine for young adults, “Threads,” contingent upon LifeWay trustees’ approval during their September meeting.
– Maintained the current staff salary structure for Executive Committee employees for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
– Elected Jim Daniel and Darren Elrod to each serve as Southern Baptist Foundation trustees beginning in June for a three-year term to expire in 2012. Daniel, who earlier served as a trustee of the foundation from 2002-08, is vice chairman of retail banking statewide for BancFirst in Oklahoma City. Elrod is the finance and accounting controller for the National Federation of Independent Business in Nashville, Tenn.
With reporting by Baptist Press editor Art Toalston and assistant editor Mark Kelly.