Jason Walsworth, Chairman pro tem
RESOLUTION 1: ON EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION
WHEREAS, Many individuals and groups have had a part in planning, preparing and conducting the 169th 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. David Brooks and the staff of Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, for their assistance with details and for providing the use of the facilities for this annual meeting; and
Dr. Gevan Spinney, Convention President, for his warm, gracious spirit in leading, speaking and listening to Louisiana Baptists during the year, and his gentle firmness in moderating this annual meeting; and
Jeremy Christ, Music Director for this annual meeting, for planning and coordinating the music and the musicians for their dedicated service at the instruments; and
Jason Lovins Band, Special Music Leaders for this annual meeting, for guiding us into meaningful worship and celebration and providing spiritual refreshing; and
Robert Lawrence and members of the Order of Business Committee for planning this informative and inspirational annual meeting; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of this 169th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 14-15, 2016, express to each of the above, and to all who contributed, our deepest heartfelt gratitude.
RESOLUTION 2: ON LOUISIANA BAPTISTS DISASTER RELIEF
WHEREAS, Record rainfall in northern Louisiana during March 2016 devastated in excess of 18,000 homes, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in 36 of 64 parishes; and
WHEREAS, Parts of southern Louisiana experienced a 1,000-year-rain in August 2106, causing flood damage to an estimated 155,000 homes in 24 parishes and creating property losses upwards from $50 billion; and
WHEREAS, During both disasters combined, our Louisiana Baptist churches, pastors and members experienced tremendous losses of properties (many without flood insurance), including damage to structures on 90 church campuses, and the homes of 70 pastors, with up to 75 percent of Livingston Parish, alone, suffering an estimated 75 percent total loss of houses; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Baptists were among the first responders in the wake of the storms, providing food, water, supplies, and comfort to people in need – in spite of personal and congregational losses; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Baptists, joined by Southern Baptist volunteers and agencies from across the nation – including 28 states in the latest disaster relief response – continue to minister on the front lines of disaster relief in areas most affected by the storms, providing: solace to victims and volunteers, hot meals for workers and displaced residents, showers and laundry services to refresh people overwhelmed by the muck and ooze, the mud-out and mold remediation of thousands of homes and structures; and
WHEREAS, This ministry is provided with no strings attached and with no government assistance; and
WHEREAS, Tens of thousands of Louisianans have experienced this ministry as a demonstration of Christ’s love in action, and upon hearing the presentation of the Gospel, many have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, asking for the forgiveness of their sins and committing their hearts to live for Him; and
WHEREAS, Reports from the field indicate enormous work remains undone, especially with regard to rebuilding the flood-damaged or destroyed facilities of numerous Louisiana Baptist congregations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of this 169th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 14-15, 2016, do hereby enthusiastically affirm the Louisiana Baptist and Southern Baptist disaster relief organizations and volunteers, and express our deepest gratitude to the thousands of Louisiana Baptists and Southern Baptists who gave of themselves unselfishly to help people in the devastated areas in this time of great need; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we thank the many Louisiana Baptist churches who opened their doors to receive evacuees and to minister to them both in word and deed; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge churches in unaffected areas, and from other states, to engage with a specific flood-affected congregation as a Partner, creating a long-term relationship to Pray – making weekly contacts to receive needs that will be lifted up by the partnering church; Participate – sending volunteers to work on construction projects; Provide – giving financial resources to help with the rebuild and operations, so that the Gospel continues to go forth in the flood-affected community; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we recommit ourselves as a fellowship of Louisiana Baptists to pray diligently for our brothers and sisters and fellow citizens who seek to rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances.
RESOLUTION 3: ON SOUL-WINNING IN LOUISIANA
WHEREAS, The Bible says unless one is born again he cannot enter Heaven (John 3:3); and
WHEREAS, God’s Word defines being born again as a child of God in terms of receiving Jesus, believing in His name (John 1:12) and revering Him as Lord “in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:15); and
WHEREAS, Scripture instructs that faith in Jesus comes from hearing the Gospel (Romans 10:17), emphasizing the need to ask so that others may come (John 1:35-49; Mark 1:17; Matthew 4:19; Revelation 22:17); and
WHEREAS, Jesus set the example for personal evangelism, intentionally proclaiming the Gospel, stating imperatively the need to receive the Good News through faith and repentance (Mark 1:15); and
WHEREAS, His Great Commission commands us to share the Gospel as we go – so others might be won, baptized and instructed in His Word (Matthew 28:18-20); and
WHEREAS, Both the Old and New Testaments celebrate, elevate and mandate soul-winning (Proverbs 11:30, 14:25; Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; 2 Corinthians 5:11, 20); and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Baptists have been asked to support a “Harvest” plan to reach everyone in our state with the Gospel of Jesus by 2018 through intentional prayer, personal evangelism, crusades, revivals, door-to-door campaigns, other local events, and strengthening Sunday school and small groups; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of this 169th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 14-15, 2016, commend the “Harvest” soul-winning strategy and commit to train, equip and mobilize for this unified effort to win our state for Christ; and be it finally
RESOLVED¸ That we urge every Louisiana Baptist pastor to lead his congregation to participate in the Harvest, organizing members to pray for every home in the local mission field, and planning events and activities that provide opportunities to share the Gospel with every person in the community, as part of a cooperative initiative in 2017-2018 to reach everyone in our state with the Gospel of Jesus.
RESOLUTION 4: AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
WHEREAS, The Bible describes each individual as being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and affirms the sanctity and dignity of all human life (Psalm 8:4–5); and
WHEREAS, God calls upon believers to speak up for those who cannot defend themselves (Proverbs 31:8–9); and
WHEREAS, Scripture condemns slave traders as ungodly and sinful (1 Timothy 1:8-10); and
WHEREAS, There are an estimated 27 million persons worldwide who are subject to slavery (enduring forced labor and being exploited in sex trade), including 1.2 million children trafficked each year; and
WHEREAS, Tens of thousands of women and children in the United States are forced into prostitution, including girls as young as 12-14 years old and boys aged 11-14 years old; and
WHEREAS, Profiteering from sex trade and promotion of selfish sexual gratification perpetuate human trafficking and are evident in many spheres of our culture, including the vast entertainment media – with even such events as the NFL Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four creating environments of sexual exploitation; and
WHEREAS, Despite having enacted the strictest anti-human trafficking laws in the nation, Louisiana continues to be plagued by this illicit, immoral and inhumane activity – with Shreveport on the I-20 corridor and Baton Rouge on the I-10 corridor identified as major U.S. hubs for human trafficking, and the sex trafficking of children in Louisiana so common as to be named among the top five criminal priorities of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of this 169th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 14-15, 2016, do hereby condemn human trafficking; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we affirm the efforts of law enforcement and other professionals who combat human trafficking through their respective domains of assignments; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we commend Louisiana Baptist ministries, agencies and individuals who help rescue and bring healing and restoration to trafficking victims in the name of Jesus Christ; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we call upon Louisiana Baptists to energetically support ministry programs, and to pursue public policies through lawmakers, seeking in both spheres at the local, state, national and international levels to eradicate human trafficking while ministering to the victims so that they might see the love of Christ in action, hear the Gospel of salvation and seek hope in Him.
RESOLUTION 5: AGAINST THE SEXUAL POLITICS OF TRANSGENDERISM
WHEREAS, In the beginning God created male and female in His image as the crowning act of Creation (Genesis 1:26–27); and
WHEREAS, God presents marriage as a foundational spiritual concept, representing Christ as the Groom and the Church as His Bride (Ephesians 5:31-32), and He instituted marriage among humans as between one man and one woman – the union of the spouses to promote procreation, establish the family and facilitate common good in society (Genesis 1:28, 2:18–24); and
WHEREAS, Certain institutions within the United States have purported to redefine marriage, including the Supreme Court, doing violence against the Bible and natural order; and
WHEREAS, Such misguided efforts to try to abrogate the fundamental relationship of men and women has caused further radical activism across the country, encouraging social engineers to attempt to redefine human sexual identity in casual and fluid terms dependent only on the subjective self-sense of an individual’s mind and not the biology and physiology that has always defined it; and
WHEREAS, President Obama has issued “guidance” from his administration, requiring transgender access in public school bathrooms (biological males in female-only facilities, and biological females in male-only private spaces) – rejecting the long-held definition of sex that has been well-established in federal laws; ignoring the well-founded scientific and medical conclusions that transgenderism is a mental disorder and often a transient emotional and mental condition; and, refuting God’s clear design of male and female; and
WHEREAS, This political agenda is being advanced for an estimated two-tenths of a percent of the population – who describe themselves as “something else” other than heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – in an attempt to re-engineer basic concepts of sexual identity, man and woman, which are key constructs of the social notions of family and home; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of this 169th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Alexandria, Louisiana, November 14-15, 2016, do hereby declare our united belief that marriage remains the union between one man and one woman, according to God’s Word; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we recognize and honor God’s explicit creation of male and female, according to His supreme design; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reiterate our love for all our neighbors, including those who claim a transgender identity, and, we pledge to minister to everyone, share the life-transforming Gospel with all persons, and, as anyone repents and believes in Christ, receive them into church membership (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Galatians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 6:11); and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reject any law that directly contradicts natural law and biblical truth, declaring such an unjust law; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we applaud the efforts of public officials such as Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and the leaders in 10 other states who have filed a lawsuit to prevent the federal government from implementing a “massive social experiment” through an executive directive that puts children’s well-being and parent’s rights at risk; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we call upon Louisiana lawmakers to strengthen the state’s 2010 Religious Freedom Restoration Act to clarify its protections of the free exercise of religion for all those whose jobs, professions, businesses, ministries, schools and personal freedoms are threatened because their consciences will not allow them to recognize, promote, or participate in activities associated with unbiblical marriage, or, will not permit them to accept, condone or comply with the sexual politics of transgenderism.
