THE NATIONAL BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP OF CONCERNED PASTORS
NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Heidi McDow, 214.679.3409, heidimcdow@yahoo.com
Pastors Call for Accountability as American Baptist College Hosts Lesbian Bishop;
The National Baptist Fellowship of Concerned Pastors to hold Press Conference to Address Objections to Same-Sex Marriage Advocates at Lecture Series
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Mar. 12, 2015 – In response to a controversial choice by American Baptist College (ABC) leadership to invite three active proponents of same-sex marriage to speak and lead worship at the College’s distinguished annual Garnett-Nabrit Lecture Series and preach at the worship services, a group of pastors within the National Baptist Convention (NBC) have informally convened to express their concerns at a press conference to be held at the Renaissance Hotel on Tuesday, March 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CDT.
The three presenters to which the group objects are United Church of Christ Bishop Yvette Flunder, who is legally married to a woman and who has advocated for her position publicly; Pastor Delman Coates, who successfully led the campaign to win the popular vote for same-sex marriage in Maryland; and Alan Bosaek, who attempted to persuade the South African Dutch Reformed Church to affirm same-sex marriage.
Known as the National Baptist Fellowship of Concerned Pastors, the pastors want to hold accountable the president and board of trustees of ABC, which is owned and operated by the orthodox, Bible-believing denomination which holds to a biblical view of marriage, for their misguided decision to invite the chosen speakers to helm the lecture series, “Ministry in Motion: Living Faith, Doing Justice.”
The pastors have attempted to reach out to ABC President Forrest Harris in hopes of starting a constructive conversation around this issue, but he has not responded to their phone calls or emails. Speaking for the group, Pastor W. Dwight McKissic of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, is troubled by ABC’s implicit application of the word “justice” to the positioning of same-sex marriage within the context of Christian orthodoxy.
“The board and administration of ABC have adopted our vocabulary, but not our dictionary,” McKissic said. “This is a moral issue, rather than one of social justice; our concern about Bishop Flunder preaching at the worship service is not about intellectual or educational inquiry, but indoctrination of a worldview placed on the pedestal of theological authority.
“As a result,” Pastor McKissic continued, “ABC is deliberately exposing young people to unorthodox views in a worship and preaching setting that wrongly affirms them as biblical truth, rather than more appropriately discussing them in a solely academic exercise.”
The move by ABC to affirm same-sex marriage through these three speakers violates the official position of the College’s governing religious body, the NBC, which declared in a statement issued in January 2014 that, “In all matters of Faith and Practice, National Baptists are guided by Holy Scriptures. Genesis 2:18-25 shows God’s concern for relationships by creating the woman to be a partner with man.”
The NBC additionally asserted that while endorsed NBC Chaplains serve in a “pluralistic environment,” providing compassionate pastoral support to all individuals based on a traditional interpretation of Scripture, they are “not to participate in any activity that implies or condones same-sex marriage or same-sex union.”
Additionally, Pastor McKissic and his colleagues wish to make the parents of ABC students aware of controversial messages contrary to the denomination’s adherence to biblical standards for marriage and sexuality that their sons and daughters may receive through the lecture series’ speakers.
“The decision on where to educate one’s child requires a great deal of prayer, financial resources and faith in a higher learning institution’s tradition, values and leadership,” Pastor McKissic said. “Our main reasons for making this information public is so that parents can (1) be properly made aware, (2) correspondingly make informed decisions, and (3) so that history and posterity can record that a group of NBC pastors prayerfully and publicly opposed the invitation that was extended to a widely known (and presently married to another woman) same-sex proponent and participant to preach in public Christian worship at our coveted denominational college.”
The National Baptist Fellowship of Concerned Pastors is also distributing a petition for other faith leaders to sign in support of the group’s concerns, available at www.change.org. The pastors stress that they are in no way officially or unofficially representative of the NBC, but speak out for the sake of an informed and aware public.
EDITOR’S NOTE: to RSVP for the press conference, please contact Heidi McDow at heidimcdow@yahoo.com or call 214-679-3409.
I appreciate Dwight’s continued courageous stand even as the other side has fought back with some pretty harsh and insulting words.
I also appreciate that Dwight has continued to keep us apprised of what is going on in this battle.
Thank you for standing for God’s Word, our friend.
Dr. Dwight
I want to echo what Dave has said. I cannot say it any better.
Prayers and blessings my brother.
Richard Land was right,
“The same-sex marriage issue will act like a truth serum, dividing true Evangelicals from the faux Evangelicals who seek to travel under the Evangelical banner while denying the biblical faith of their Evangelical forefathers.” -Dr. Richard Land, president, Southern Evangelical Seminary
David R. Brumbelow
I, too, applaud Dwight for the courage he is showing here. I am heartbroken for the young men and women attending this school. The leaders of the school have clearly betrayed the organizational and operating principles of the college, and they are affirming “marriages” that our Lord never affirmed.
Dwight,
Stand strong on this issue, my Brother from another Mother! I, too, applaud you and the others, who are taking this stand. It’s not an easy thing to do, and there will be many, who will attack you, because of it. So, I’m praying that God will give you and the others strength and courage thru it all.
David
Its a shame that the president of the school is not responding.
That action seems to me to be indicative of a coward who is hiding rather than one who is certain that his convictions will stand in the face of opposition.
Dwight on the hand is standing firm, speaking loudly and stand willing and ready to discuss a resolution. Thus demonstrating courage of his conviction. That speak volumes. One hiding – One speaking.
In my view, the refusal of the president of the school to speak with Dwight and the others demonstrates a reality that those who prefer the darkness over the light – will just assume not be open to discussion.
Tarheel
You make several good points. The stonewalling is not becoming of a college president. Perhaps this could prove to be a negative in his defense.
No society has lasted long after embracing (not just tolerating) homosexuality. This has definitely become a David and Goliath battle. God will ultimately prevail, of course, but much will be lost in the battle.
See more on this issue and the
American Baptist College
at:
http://bpnews.net/44399/bapt-college-ground-zero-in-gay-marriage-debate
David R. Brumbelow
Sounds like the National Baptist Convention
needs to elect some new, conservative, Bible-believing trustees
for their American Baptist College.
As soon as possible.
David R. Brumbelow
Absolutely! Dr. Harris has been working, planning, instigating, to get the homosexual branding into ABC for many years. It is good to begin to shed a little light on the abysmal, bullying tactics of Dr. Harris toward the students at ABC.
I trust that the NBC Convention will do the right thing and show real leadership at this time. Dr. Harris has hijacked the school and is putting the education of so many at risk.
Thank God for the men that took the time and effort to love this college by exposing such travesty! This is only the beginning of the battle as these men and hopeful countless others face the ignorance and hatred that Harris has conveyed, and continues to build on ABC,…. and much patience and endurance will be required.