Guest post by K.V. Paxton, Lead Pastor at Grace Baptist Church, Quinlan, Texas.
The following resolution “On Praying for the Plight of Arab Christians” will be submitted to the Resolutions Committee to be considered at this year’s annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. Allow me to share the heart behind this resolution, then you can read it for yourself.
Last year at the annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, I submitted a resolution I titled, “On Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem”. The intention of that resolution was to bring attention to the fact that we have brothers and sisters in Christ amongst the Palestinian people who feel isolated and alone by fellow countrymen, by Israel, and by American Christians. That resolution did not make it to the floor.
This resolution has a broader scope: to cause us to pray and consider brothers and sisters in Christ all throughout the Middle East, including amongst the Palestinian people. As a Palestinian-American and a SBC pastor, my heart is with the plight of Arab Christians in hostile lands. My desire is for our denomination to consider the difficulties of being an Arab Christian, and to recognize them as family in Christ. My hope is that this will communicate to them that they have our prayers, that we are praying for them, and that they are not forgotten.
With that in mind, here is the resolution that the committee will consider, and hopefully, the messengers in Dallas will affirm:
On Praying for the Plight of Arab Christians
WHEREAS, Christians are called, as we have opportunity, to do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10), and
WHEREAS, God is cultivating a people for His possession from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages (Rev. 7:9), and
WHEREAS, Arab Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ who often have friend in neither their fellow countrymen nor the theocratic governments under whom they live, and
WHEREAS, A majority of Arab Christians live under oppressive regimes where Christianity, worship gatherings, and evangelism is often times illegal and punishable by imprisonment or even death and
WHEREAS, Arab Christians feel alone and forgotten by fellow brother and sisters in Christ in America and around the world, now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Dallas, Texas, June 12-13, 2018, commit to pray for and offer a hand of support to Arab Christians in the Middle East and worldwide; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we will pray for all fellow believers in the Middle East and worldwide, who feel isolated, alienated, and alone; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we make it known to our Arab brothers and sisters that they are not alone or forgotten and that we do love them and consider them our family in Christ, and
RESOLVED, That we desire that our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ know that we are sympathetic to their plight and hardships; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we will pray that God would use them and us to reach the nonbelieving Arabs and Muslims in the region; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we will pray that God will empower Arab Christians in difficult circumstances to endure, overcome, and be a witness to the life-changing power of the gospel to their context; and be it further
RESOLVED, We commit to support, love and encourage Arab brothers and sisters wherever possible both at home and abroad; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we call for Southern Baptists to pray and remember our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ that God would strengthen them and give them patient endurance as they use their lives as a light of the gospel to a darkened world.
