INSIDE
- From the Interim Director: Anti-Gay Amendment Proposed for Ministers
Council
- News:
-
Pastor Selected for Lilly-Funded Group
-
Regional Gatherings Slated
-
Association Launches Online Discussion to Discern Signs of the Movement
- On the Web
- Calendar
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Those Pharisees are an ambitious bunch. As if they didn't have enough work
on their hands trying to "lock people out of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew
23:13), now they've taken on another task: kicking gay-friendly clergy out
of the Senate of the Ministers Council of the American Baptist Churches.
Leaders in the ABC of the Pacific Southwest are recommending an amendment to
the Ministers Council bylaws, requiring that senators in "good standing"
will be those clergy who "maintain sexual integrity consistent with the
teaching of Scripture that sexual intimacy is to be experienced between a
man and a woman committed to each other in marriage and with the policy of
the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. that 'the practice of
homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.'"
Oh, boy. The Ministers Council Senate is meeting at the American Baptist
Assembly beginning this Saturday, August 21. Let's hope they have the
wisdom to sink this proposal to the bottom of Green Lake.
At the bottom of this e-newsletter is the unedited e-mail text that
accompanied the proposed amendment, which is also included below.
What can you do? Contact the senators and let them know you oppose the
amendment. (A phone and e-mail list is available at: http://www.ministerscouncil.org/SenatorList.htm.)
It's been said before but must be proclaimed again and again -- this kind of
action runs counter to the historic Baptist principle that we are free to
interpret scripture as we are led by the Holy Spirit. And the rationale for
the proposed amendment is selective in its denominational references. The
most significant omission is the 1993 General Board resolution "Calling for
Dialogue on Human Sexuality," which acknowledges "a variety of
understandings throughout our denomination on issues of human sexuality such
as homosexuality." That resolution calls for mutual respect -- not the
meanness being advanced in ABC-PSW.
May mutual respect prevail at Green Lake this weekend. Please keep our
brothers and sisters in your prayers.
Peace,
Daniel Pryfogle
Interim Director
Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists
919-460-7069
daniel@wabaptists.org
http://www.wabaptists.org
News
* Pastor Picked for First Parish Project
The Rev. Brian Dixon, pastor of Association member Dolores Street Baptist
Church in San Francisco, has been selected for the Lilly Endowment-funded
First Parish Project.
Brian will spend three weeks each year for the next two years meeting with a
group of 25 pastors under the age of 35. He's excited about the opportunity
to be in conversation with peers working in small churches -- a sometimes
lonely vocation.
You can learn more about Brian and Dolores Street at:
http://baptistchurchsf.org
* Regional Gatherings Slated
Friends and members of the Association will have a chance to fellowship on
two occasions this fall.
AWAB is co-sponsoring the 8th Open Circle Retreat with University Baptist
Church in Austin, Texas, October 22-24. A weekend of workshops, worship,
great speakers and wonderful fellowship is planned. To learn more, go to:
http://www.ubcaustin.org/opencircle/glb_retreat04_main.htm
The following weekend, October 30th, welcoming and affirming Baptists will
gather in Toronto. It's the fall meeting of the Gathering of Baptists of
Ontario and Quebec, a network of churches on the margins in their
denomination. A meeting of Canadian and U.S. churches has tentatively been
scheduled for October 29. If you are interested in participating, contact
Daniel Pryfogle at daniel@wabaptists.org by Sept. 1. To learn more about
the Gathering, go to:
http://www.gatheringbaptists.ca
* Association Launches Discerning Discussion Online
The council of the Association believes that we needs lots of conversation
-- and lots of listening -- to discern the Spirit's leading in our midst.
After 11 years, many leaders in this movement are asking ...
+ Where do we want to invest our energy?
+ How much energy do we want to continue to give to the American Baptist
battle?
+ Are there other relationships and ministry opportunities that are more
life-giving?
+ When is a prophetic witness necessary in American Baptist life, and when
should we shake the dust from our sandals?"
To facilitate conversation on these questions, the Association has launched
an online discussion. You can sign up at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AWABdiscernment/
Part of the conversation is to discern what's happening in denominational
life today. The Rev. Heather Rittenhouse, a member of the AWAB council and
a member of the ABC General Board, has written a letter offering an analysis
of what could be a coordinated conservative takeover of the American Baptist
Churches. The Rev. Dr. Dale Edmondson, retired pastor of Judson Memorial
Baptist Church in Minneapolis and member of the AWAB council, and the Rev.
Daniel Pryfogle, the Association's interim director, have written responses.
You can read all of this at:
http://www.wabaptists.org/dicernment.htm
(By the way, we'll get "discernment" in the URL spelled right in the next
few days!)
On the Web
The Association's web site -- http://www.wabaptists.org -- is a vital
part of our ministry to individuals and congregations. We're adding
resources to the site weekly. The latest additions:
+ Job Connection -- a listing of job opportunities in W&A churches and
friendly organizations: http://www.wabaptists.org/jobconnection.htm
+ Voice of the Turtle -- the latest edition of the online journal features a
sermon by the Rev. Diane Hooge, pastor of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in
Minneapolis, reflecting on her meeting with the Welcoming Churches Program
Leaders in early August. Check it out at: http://www.wabaptists.org/voto.htm.
Calendar
* Alliance of Baptists Mini-Convocation, Sept. 18, 2004, First Baptist
Church, Worcester, MA. Peggy Campolo, a former member of the Association
council, will speak. To learn more, go to:
http://www.allianceofbaptists.org
* A Gathering of Ministers Serving Youth and Children, Sept. 23-25, 2004, at
Camp Thunderbird, outside Charlotte, NC. Sponsored by The Alliance of
Baptists, this gathering will be an exploration of faith formation with
youth and children. To learn more, go to:
http://www.allianceofbaptists.org/calendar.htm
* AWAB Open Circle LGBT Gathering - October 22-23, 2004, at University
Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. The regional gathering of folks from W&A
churches and beyond is a wonderful opportunity for LGBT Baptists, family and
friends to join together for workshops, fellowship and worship. For more
information, check out the Open Circle web site at:
http://www.ubcaustin.org/opencircle/glb_retreat04_main.htm
* Fall Meeting of the Gathering of Baptists of Ontario and Quebec, October
30, 2004, at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Joseph
Jeter of Brite Divinity School will speak. To learn more, go to:
http://www.gatheringbaptists.ca
Information Regardin the ABC
Ministers Council
[The following is the text of an email sent
to Ministers Council senators.]
August 17, 2004
Dear Senators,
The Executive Committe of the PSW MC met on 8/12 and is recommending a
proposed amendment to the ByLaws of the MC of ABCUSA. Article 13 states:
"These ByLaws may be amendend at any meeting of the Senate by a two-thirds
vote of the Senators present and voting . . . provided that written notice
of the proposed amendment is presented at a previous annual meeting of the
Senate and is signed by fifteen Senators." Please read the rest of this
Email. If you agree, please print this Email, sign your name and date where
indicated, and fax the page to Senator Layman at (602) 788-7343. Please fax
by 11:59 p.m., Thursday, August 19.
Thank you, Senator Bill Godwin, on behalf of Rod Layman whose computer was
not functioning.
[The following is a letter and proposed amendment sent to Ministers Council
senators.]
August 12, 2004
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We are submitting the following proposal for an amendment to the bylaws of
the Ministers Council of the American Baptist Churches in the U. S. A. in
recognition of the authority of the Bible and in order to bring the practice
of the Ministers Council into greater harmony with the policy of the
American Baptist Churches in the U. S. A. The rationale for this amendment
is as follows:
1) As American Baptists we are committed to the authority of Scripture. We
Are American Baptists: an Expression of Christian Faith Representative of
American Baptists, approved by the General Board in June, 1998, and
affirmed by cooperating churches in the ABCUSA (Standing Rule 5.1.1,
states:
American Baptists believe that the Bible, composed of the Old and New
Testaments, is the divinely inspired Word of God, the final written
authority and trustworthy for faith and practice. It is to be interpreted
responsibly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the community of
faith.
2) The Scriptures teach that Godıs gracious creation intent is for
sexual intimacy to be experienced between a man and a woman committed to
each other in marriage, and that the Church should minister compassionately
and lovingly to all sexually broken people, pointing to the availability of
Godıs grace and healing to all who turn to God in faith and repentance.
3) The American Baptist Churches in the U. S. A. has adopted a Resolution on
Homosexuality, which states, "The practice of homosexuality is incompatible
with Christian teaching."
4) The General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches, Rev. A. Roy
Medley, answering charges that American Baptists favor homosexual marriages,
cited the Resolution on Homosexuality, as well as the policy statement on
Family Life adopted in 1984, which states "We affirm that God intends
marriage to be a monogamous, life-long, one flesh union of a woman and a
manŠ" These statements, expressing the convictions of the great majority
of American Baptists, should find expression in the policies of American
Baptist representative bodies such as the Senate of the Ministers Council.
5) Those who are called to positions of leadership in the body of Christ
should affirm and exemplify the teaching of the Word of God and strive to
unify American Baptists as people centered in Christ, the Great Commission,
the Great Commandment, and the vision to which God has called us.
We therefore present the following proposal for adoption as an amendment to
the bylaws of the Ministers Council Senate.
Respectfully,
The Ministers Council, American Baptist Churches
Proposed Amendment to Bylaws
The following is a proposed amendment to the Bylaws of the Ministers
Council of the American Baptist Churches in the U. S. A. to Article VIII.
The proposed bylaw would be a new Section 3, causing the present
Sections 3 and 4 to become Sections 4 and 5 respectively,
Proposed Section 3
a. Senators will be clergy in good standing in the American Baptist
Churches who uphold the Covenant and Code of Ethics for ministerial
Leaders of the American Baptist Churches, and maintain sexual integrity
consistent with the teaching of Scripture that sexual intimacy is to be
experienced between a man and a woman committed to each other in marriage
and with the policy of the American Baptist Churches in the U. S. A. that
"the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.
b. The Executive Committee of the Ministers Council shall ensure that
Senators meet the qualifications of this article.
Associational is a periodic e-newsletter of the
Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists, a network of 50 churches and
hundreds of individuals who have joined together to advocate for the full
inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons within Baptist
communities of faith. Please forward this e-newsletter to interested
friends. To subscribe, send an e-mail to
e-subscribe@wabaptists.org with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
To be removed from this list, send an e-mail to
e-unsubscribe@wabaptists.org with REMOVE in the subject line.
To learn more about the Association, go to: http://www.wabaptists.org.
The Peace of Christ be with you.
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