BALTIMORE (BP) – Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution on transgender identity for the first time while returning to such issues as civil rights, gambling and world hunger for further statements.
All nine resolutions offered Tuesday (June 10) at the SBC’s 2014 meeting gained approval by unanimous or overwhelming votes. The messengers’ actions in about 30 minutes meant a second report scheduled for Wednesday morning (June 11) was not needed.
Twelve resolutions were submitted to the committee. Messengers defeated efforts to bring two of those resolutions to the floor for consideration.
The resolution on transgender identity came in response to recent gains in state legislatures, the federal executive branch, public schools and the wider culture by advocates for recognizing a distinction between gender and biology.
In the resolution, messengers affirmed that “gender identity is determined by biological sex and not by one’s self-perception.” It expressed love for transgender people and invited them to trust in Jesus.
Texas pastor David Dykes, chairman of the Resolutions Committee, said at a news conference after the vote, “To this point we had not spoken on this issue, so there was a need for clarity” on the SBC’s position.
At the same news conference, Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), described it as “a very good, wise resolution and a very hopeful sign of the Southern Baptist Convention saying to the outside world, ‘We’re standing with biblical conviction, and we also are making very clear that the Gospel message goes to everybody.’”
In addressing some issues messengers had spoken to at various times in the past, the 2014 convention:
n commemorated the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act and reaffirmed the SBC’s 1965 call for “peaceful compliance with laws assuring equal rights for all.”
Reaffirmed its “long-standing opposition to government sponsorship of gambling.”
Urged Southern Baptists to support the newly rebranded Global Hunger Relief initiative.
In approving the civil rights resolution, the convention again acknowledged its grievous past. Messengers, the resolution said, “lament and repudiate this nation’s long history of racial segregation as well as the complicity of Southern Baptists who resisted or opposed the dismantling of the evil or racial hierarchy in our churches or society.” The measure also expressed gratitude for the increase in racial and ethnic diversity among Southern Baptists in the last 50 years.
The hunger resolution stemmed from the rebranding of the World Hunger Fund as Global Hunger Relief. The SBC-approved division of funds remains at 80 percent for overseas use and 20 percent for domestic use.
The resolution urged Southern Baptist entities, the Woman’s Missionary Union and other partners to act aggressively to increase awareness of the need of the hungry and encouraged churches to promote giving to Global Hunger Relief.
The other resolutions:
condemned “predatory payday lending” and urged churches to offer financial stewardship instruction and skills training for people inside and outside their congregations.
reaffirmed “the sufficiency of biblical revelation over subjective experiential explanations to guide one’s understanding of the truth about heaven and hell” in an apparent response to the recently released movie “Heaven Is for Real” and similar books and films.
– encouraged Southern Baptists to back the creation of Christ-centered elementary and secondary schools and Christian homeschooling systems, supported those who follow God’s direction by taking part in public schools and urged policies that “maximize parental choice.”
affirmed “the calling of pastors who revitalize churches as needful as the calling of pastors to plant churches.”
thanked God and all those who helped with this year’s meeting.