Alliance of Baptists Directors Support Peace Fellowship

                                                                                                                Vol. VIII, No. 9, October 1995

[The following is condensed from an article in Baptists Today, 7 September 1995, p. 3.]

In February the Baptist Peace Fellowship's directors declared the organization a "welcoming place" for homosexuals and pledged to oppose resolutions critical of homosexuals in other Baptist groups. In reaction the American Baptist Churches' national ministry arm defunded the Peace Fellowship (PF), apparently primarily in objection to the prospect of the Peace Fellowship trying to influence denominational policies. The PF has since revised the statement to remove the language about opposing resolutions. Apparently the American Baptists are likely to restore PF funding.

In July the Coordinating Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship also voted to delete a line item for the Peace Fellowship in its budget. CBF leaders stated the PF resolution moved the peace group into an area with which most Fellowship members would not agree.

In August directors of the Alliance of Baptists unanimously voted their support for the Baptist Peace Fellowship position. In March the Alliance had "received" its own statement on human sexuality. That statement does not endorse or condemn homosexuality but encourages churches to "welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation or marital status in the life of Baptist churches." The statement also advocates "covenant relationships between monogamous adults" as the "most responsible" model for sexual relationships for either homosexual or same-sex partners.

Currently 116 congregations are formally affiliated with the Alliance. Four years ago the number was 139. Stan Hastey, Alliance executive director, said that in 1989 about 2,900 individuals were members but that today the number is "less than half of that level." Including members of affiliated churches and individual members, Hastey said some 60,000 Baptists support the Alliance. [This article originated with Associated Baptist Press.]

[Editorial Comment: In the spectrum of Baptist organizations the Baptist Peace Fellowship is generally viewed by both moderates and conservatives as furthest to the left. The Alliance of Baptists is close to the PF but not quite as liberal, which is confirmed by the action of the Alliance directors described above. The CBF is larger, more diverse, and not as uniformly liberal as either the PF or the Alliance. Readers should also be aware that Associated Baptist Press is the liberal counter to the official SBC Baptist Press agency and that the newspaper Baptists Today is the voice of the Baptist left wing.

It is revealing to consider the standards of worth employed and not employed in the Alliance statement as reported above. It is obvious that being "responsible" is the criterion used. No mention is made of what God says about homosexuality in His Word. But if we leave God out, what behavior is "responsible"? Is it not doing what one believes is right after considered evaluation? That reminds us of Judges 17:6 "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." The society was in turmoil. Why? Note the Bible does NOT say, "Every man was doing what was WRONG in his own eyes." Presumably these were sincere people. They were thinking in advance about their acts. They were doing what they thought RIGHT. But still their nation was rapidly going downhill. If everyone was doing what was RIGHT in his own eyes, why was the society in sinful turmoil? Is it not because our minds are remarkably adroit at justifying anything we want to do. I may not be very rational in other ways, but boy, can I rationalize any act I wish! How about you? The issue is, who is sovereign, God or me.

Baptist freedom is a valid and important matter. No question about it. But it is possible to over-emphasize freedom... especially considering the prevailing "culture," or lack thereof. If I emphasize my own responsibility to the exclusion of God's sovereignty, I forget that the New Testament terms us God's douloi, the Greek word for bond-slaves.

Baptists are properly free of the attempts of governments or other men to control our consciences. But in no sense are we free from the commands of God. In fact, quite the contrary. In accepting the gift of salvation we also accept Jesus as our Lord and Master. Those terms are not mere verbal titles. As His douloi, His bond-slaves, our standard of right and wrong is not based upon our personal judgment, or upon my standard of responsibility even though sincere. As Jesus replied when Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread, "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

Liberals can and do argue whether all the Bible is inspired. But no one can read the passages pertaining to homosexuality and claim that the Bible does anything except call homosexuality abominable sin.

The Baptist Peace Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists are wrong. They have renounced God's inspired Word and have substituted what is right in their own eyes. An organization or church which welcomes unrepentant, practicing gays and lesbians as Christians is in utter revolt against God's commands. May we pray, that the eyes of their hearts will be opened to see and understand the extent of their apostasy. TCP]