High-profile Baptist church set for historic vote on same-sex marriages
“Should it pass, this motion would make clear that our ministers are free to perform the wedding of same-sex couples at our church in the same way we do couples of different sex. … First Baptist Church of Christ is part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.” Telegraph
Wikipedia on CBF…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_Baptist_Fellowship
Wiki says they are “theologically moderate”!
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
Given that the CBF left the SBC when the SBC was re-affirming the Fundamentals and inerrancy of Scripture, one would have to infer that they are the churches that would not affirm the Fundamentals, which places them clearly in the camp of theological liberalism.
I suspect that at least a quorum of staff at the CBC knows, in light of this, that their claim to be “moderate” is a deliberate lie. They may not admit this, but that’s what it is, unless we can assume that 100% of the staff there has no theological training and knows nothing of the significance of each side of the argument.
#notbuyingit
Also worth noting is that historically, a major avenue for theological liberalism was John D. Rockefeller via the University of Chicago and Baptist churches—newsmen note with joy that a “Baptist” church is going their way, but historically speaking, Baptists have not always been stalwart on theological orthodoxy and the Fundamentals. So this move is not exactly a surprise, though it ought to be noted that this movement has already done some things that would have surprised Rockefeller, to put it mildly.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
/sarcasm
If you look at CBF’s website, you’ll see a fair number of references to “moderate” Baptists and such, so wiki isn’t completely out to lunch if you consider that CBF ought to be a primary source for their own self-definitions. The fault really lies in CBF for not owning the fact that their vaunted “moderation”, which of course plays better in Peoria, is in reality a modernization of theological liberalism of the 1800s.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
I was involved in the SBC Conservative Resurgence.
My definition of the SBC groups:
1. Conservative - believes in the inerrancy of the Bible and considers it a non-negotiable. Insists SBC leaders, professors, missionaries, employees believe that God’s Word is totally true and trustworthy. Our mission money should not go to support those who believe the Bible contains errors.
2. Moderate - someone who may or may not believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. What contrasts him from conservatives, is that with him inerrancy is negotiable. A moderate will tolerate, accept, ignore, protect, maybe even welcome SBC leaders, professors, missionaries, employees who do not believe in the inerrancy of the Bible.
3. Liberal - in the context of the SBC, one who believes there are errors, or could be errors in the Bible.
4. Inerrancy - the Bible is inspired by God and is without error. It is totally true and trustworthy. This refers to the original manuscripts of the Bible, not to a particular Bible translation. “Infallible,” “totally true and trustworthy” are used synonymously with “inerrancy.”
http://gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com/2009/08/brief-history-of-sbc-conser…
David R. Brumbelow
PS – Please pray for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and torrential rain. Pray for volunteers with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Samaritan’s Purse, and others.
For any who don’t know, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Samaritan’s Purse both take a strong stand against same sex marriage, and for biblical morality.
They also present a good Christian witness in all they do.
David R. Brumbelow
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