By Message Staff
MONROE, La. (LBM) – The Resolutions Committee has drafted five resolutions that it will present to messengers for consideration as consensus policy statements during the 174th Session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. The committee’s recommendations will be offered for adoption by vote, 4:30 p.m., Nov. 16, at North Monroe Baptist Church, the host site for the 2021 LBC Annual Meeting.
RESOLUTION: ON GRATITUDE FOR DISASTER RELIEF ‘PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL’
WHEREAS, The Bible declares the church as Christ’s instrument to effect His will on earth (Ephesians 3:10) and that we are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10); and
WHEREAS, In the New Testament, one of the ministries of the Church was to bring relief to those experiencing calamity (Acts 11:27-30); and
WHEREAS, Disaster Relief is one of the most established and highly visible cooperative ministries among the state conventions of Baptists across the nation, providing emergency aid to churches, pastors and communities without strings attached or government assistance; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana has experienced multiple disasters in 2020-2021 (four hurricanes, two named storms, and an ice storm), each with devastating impacts that created long-term recovery needs; and
WHEREAS, Despite these enormous natural disasters, each a federally declared emergency taking place during an extended and surging coronavirus pandemic, Baptist state convention partners from around the nation responded generously with financial resources and donations of goods as well as thousands of compassionate volunteers to assist Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief efforts; and
WHEREAS, In 2020, this “partnership in the Gospel” (Philippians 1:5) – for recovery efforts related to Hurricanes Laura and Delta alone — resulted in: Gospel presentations to 1,911 people, with 456 professing Christ; distribution of 2,860 Bibles; preparation of 430,669 meals; provision of 12,073 showers; and completion of 2,390 chainsaw assignments, 259 temporary roofing projects as well as debris removal from 202 sites; and
WHEREAS, In 2021, from August 29 through September 20, in response to the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Ida, 29 state conventions have deployed Disaster Relief teams to 25 ministry sites around southeast Louisiana, and already have: presented the Gospel to 513 people, with 87 declaring “Jesus is Lord”; distributed 715 Bibles; prepared 638,660 meals; assessed 3,163 damaged properties; completed 494 chainsaw jobs; provided 7,558 showers; and finished 5,243 loads of laundry; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 174th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Monroe, Louisiana, November 16, 2021, express our heartfelt gratitude to the thousands of Baptist volunteers in our state convention and from the state conventions of our Baptist partners who are helping Louisianans to recover from the havoc wrought by Hurricane Ida and who aided us after the devastating natural disasters in 2020; and be if further
RESOLVED, That we commit ourselves to pray diligently for the safety and well-being of our brothers and sisters who are volunteers in the massive recovery efforts that are underway, as well as for the churches, pastors and other fellow Louisianans who are seeking to rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the midst of difficult circumstances; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we pray for God to continue to use this vital ministry to bring physical and emotional comfort to the hurting during desperate times of need, and, especially, to use Disaster Relief ministry as a means to bring the message of “hope in Christ” to those who are living in spiritual darkness and in need of salvation.
RESOLUTION: ON EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION
WHEREAS, many individuals and groups have had a part in planning, preparing and conducting the 174th annual meeting of our Louisiana Baptist Convention; and
WHEREAS, the messengers of this convention desire to warmly recognize and express appreciation to the following: Dr. Bill Dye, pastor of North Monroe Baptist Church, Monroe, his staff and the congregation for their assistance with details and for providing the use of their facilities for this annual meeting; and Dr. David Cranford, Convention president, and pastor of First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, for his warm, gracious spirit in leading, speaking and listening to Louisiana Baptists this year, and his gentle firm-ness in moderating this annual meeting; and First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula, for its commitment to sharing the Gospel in our state by graciously supporting Dr. Cranford’s leadership of all the churches of the Louisiana Baptist Convention this past year; and Blake Davis, music director for this annual meeting, and worship pastor for North Monroe Baptist Church, for planning and coordinating the music, and the musicians and singers for their contribution of instrumental and vocal talents; and Stewart Holloway, chairman of the Order of Business Committee, and pastor of First Baptist Church, Pineville, and the members of the Order of Business Committee for planning this informative and inspirational annual meeting; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that we, the messengers to the 174th Session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Monroe, Louisiana, November 16, 2021, express to each of the above, and to all who contributed, our deepest heartfelt gratitude.
RESOLUTION: ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE FOR RACE AND RACIAL RECONCILIATION
WHEREAS, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17); and
WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states, “all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy” (Article I); and
WHEREAS, “God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:27); and
WHEREAS, “From one man [God] has made every nationality to live over the whole earth” (Acts 17:26); and
WHEREAS, In his prophetic vision John saw “a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10); and
WHEREAS, “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12); and
WHEREAS, “Through faith [we] are all sons of God in Christ Jesus … There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26- 28); and
WHEREAS, “God … has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18); and
WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states, “Christians should oppose racism” (Article XV); now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 174th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Monroe, Louisiana, November 16, 2021, affirm the sufficiency of Scripture on race and racial reconciliation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our agreement with historic, biblically-faithful Southern Baptist and Louisiana Baptist condemnations of racism in all forms; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reject any theory or worldview, specifically Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, that finds the ultimate identity of human beings in ethnicity or in any other group dynamic; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reject any theory or worldview, specifically Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, that sees the primary problem of humanity as anything other than sin against God and the ultimate solution as anything other than redemption found only in Christ; and be it further
RESOLVED, We, therefore, reject any theory or worldview, specifically Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, that denies that racism, oppression, or discrimination is rooted, ultimately, in anything other than sin; and be it further
RESOLVED, That, understanding we live in a fallen world, we reaffirm the 1995 Resolution On Racial Reconciliation On The 150th Anniversary Of The Southern Baptist Convention, which includes, “That we apologize to all African-Americans for condoning and/or perpetuating individual and systemic racism in our lifetime; and we genuinely repent of racism of which we have been guilty, whether consciously (Psalm 19:13) or unconsciously (Leviticus 4:27),” applying this disposition to every instance of racism; and be it finally
RESOLVED, We affirm that our reconciliation in Christ gives us the opportunity and responsibility to pursue reconciliation with others so that we can display and share the hope of the Gospel with the world.
RESOLUTION: ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ANNUAL CHURCH PROFILE
WHEREAS, The example of Paul and Barnabas in bringing a report to the church in Antioch (Acts14:26-27) established a precedent for the value of giving testimony to the work of God through our efforts; and
WHEREAS, Our present work of teaching the Gospel and creating disciples through the church is equally important to the health and growth of the Kingdom and should be evaluated regularly by the local church and pastor, as well as by leaders in the local association, state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention; and
WHEREAS, The Annual Church Profile system is an essential tool for gathering information to identify some of the visible results of the work of our churches, thereby helping us see trends and better understand the effectiveness of our methods and strategies; and
WHEREAS, Completing and submit[1]ting the ACP annual survey reflects support of the cooperative effort and contributes to the cooperative spirit that characterize our Great Commission fellowship; and
WHEREAS, This yearly administrative exercise offers a beneficial opportunity for self-evaluation to churches and pastors; and
WHEREAS, The ACP survey data is used to determine the representation of Louisiana Baptists on the SBC Executive Committee, the LBC Executive Committee, the trustee boards for NAMB, the IMB, as well as to set the number of messengers each church qualifies to send to the state and national conventions; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 15 percent of Louisiana Baptist Churches do not return a completed ACP survey form; and
WHEREAS, Users and administrators across the denomination have collaborated to simplify the ACP survey, reducing the number of questions and making it easier to under-stand; and
WHEREAS, The ACP survey can be completed online as well as in paper form; and
WHEREAS, Associational and state leaders offer help with completing the ACP survey; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 174th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Monroe, Louisiana, November 16, 2021, call on all pastors and churches to complete and submit the ACP survey each year; and be if further
RESOLVED, That we affirm the value of an accurate, yearly testimony to the work of Christ in Louisiana through local Baptist churches; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we urge associational and state convention leaders to actively pro-mote participation in the ACP process, by highlighting its importance at annual meetings and also using other forums and means to encourage pastors and churches to take part.
RESOLUTION: ON SUPPORT OF FAIRNESS IN WOMEN’S SPORTS ACT
WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that man and woman shared in the dignity of creation, both being made “in the image of God,” yet each being distinct and complementary of the other (Gen. 1:26-27); and
WHEREAS, Radical activism across the country is attempting to redefine human sexual identity in casual and fluid terms dependent only on the subjective self-sense of an individual’s mind and not on the biology that has always defined it; and
WHEREAS, Transgender politics now have invaded sports, allowing biological males to compete on teams designated for biological females despite the science which documents biological male advantages even with cross-sex hormone treatments (denser and stronger bones, tendons, and ligaments; larger hearts, greater lung volume per body mass, higher red blood cell counts, higher hemoglobin, as well as higher natural levels of testosterone — all of which result, in general, in greater degrees of strength, speed, and endurance); and
WHEREAS, Already, biological females have been displaced by biological males in competitions on multiple levels from high school to the Olympic Games; and
WHEREAS, Ultimately, such policy changes deny biological girls and women opportunities to simply enjoy competition and receive recognition, but also to earn scholarships as well as to experience personal growth and leadership development (which are critical advantages when competing for positions of responsibility in business, government, military and other career fields); and
WHEREAS, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 was enacted specifically to provide girls and women opportunities in education and activities, including athletics; and
WHEREAS, Since that historic political victory, girls and women have earned hard-fought battles for equal support of female-specific sports teams; and
WHEREAS, During the 2021 Louisiana legislative season, Sen. Beth Mizell, Senate president pro tempore and a member of First Baptist Church, Franklinton, championed S.B. 156, Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, to level the playing field for women athletes by barring bio-logical males from competing on teams designated for biological females; and
WHEREAS, S.B. 156 passed overwhelmingly during the regular session (29-6-4 by the Senate; 78-19-8 by the House) but was vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards and failed in a special override legislative session requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers (successful in the Senate, 26-12-1; missed the threshold by two votes in House, 68-30-6); now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 174th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Monroe, Louisiana, November 16, 2021, commend Sen. Mizell for her courageous stand to defend the rights of girl and women athletes with legislation to bar bio-logical males from competing against biological females; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge her and the other sponsors of the legislation to present these protections, again, during the 2022 schedule of the state legislature; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we strongly counsel the governor and all lawmakers to represent the overwhelming will of the people of our state on this matter, which figures to impact this important sphere of life for so many of the daughters and granddaughters of Louisiana.
