Nashville may lose 2005 SBC meeting  

                                                                                                                                                           Vol. XVI, No. 2, February 2003

A proposed Nashville ordinance validating the homosexual lifestyle is troubling Southern Baptist Convention officials charged with the responsibility of recommending convention sites for the SBC annual meeting. Under the Nashville proposal, which has passed two of the required three readings, the words "sexual orientation" would be added to Metro Nashville's Fair Employment and Housing Law stipulating that people cannot be discriminated against because of their "race, color, religion, national origin or sex." The word, "sex," meanwhile, would be changed to "gender." The amended law would seek to protect homosexuals from the threat of being fired or denied housing because of their lifestyle.

The proposal does not exempt churches, religious organizations or Christian business owners who believe that homosexuality is a sin. The change could have a major impact on the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, both located in downtown Nashville.

In 2002, the SBC cancelled a contract with a Howard Johnson hotel in St. Louis when the hotel hosted an inappropriate conference. In 2001, a hotel contract in New Orleans was cancelled because of non-friendly family activities.

Jack Wilkerson, vice president for business and finance of the SBC Executive Committee, formally stated his concerns in correspondence Jan. 8 with officials of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. If undertaken, a formal initiative to move the 2005 SBC annual meeting from Nashville would have to begin with the SBC Executive Committee, an 81-member body which meets twice yearly in Nashville. If recommended by the Executive Committee, the move would require approval by messengers during an SBC annual meeting. [BP]