The CBF and this month's [Baptist] Conf. on Sexuality

[William Thornton]

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship & Sexuality: An Emerging Controversy

The link is for Aaron Weaver's blog article which does a good job of summarizing, with relevant links, the recent discussion, "rumblings and rumors" as he puts it, on the [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenant that is co-sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Mercer University and which will be held at First Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia, April 19-21.

Perhaps all has been said here that could be said (I doubt it) but for any who missed any part of it the link above is a good summary.

[KeithE]

Good timeline based look at this Conference and reactions to it. Thanks Big Daddy and William.

I believe there should be some good degree of autonomy of organizations (such as the CBF and SBC and Alliance of Baptists) as well as autonomy of local churches and personal freedom. As such let’s let the CBF work this out in their chosen manner and timeframe.

[Sandy]

I think BDW did a good job of laying out the events that played out and more or less drew the conference into the discussion on CBF and its policy on homosexuality, and managed to stay objective without drawing a conclusion for his readers as to whether this really is just a conference to sit down and discuss issues related to a very relevant topic on the cutting edge of change, or whether there have been some calculated moves intended to put it in a position of being an influential event in helping CBF determine future policy, especially related to the homosexuality issue. Baptists who are used to having influence frequently work that way, and I've observed it happen in both the SBC and CBF in the recent past. I'm sure Colleen Burroughs is hoping for some kind of statement that carries some weight on the issue of homosexuality and CBF funding coming out of this conference.

[Neil Heath]

Don't forget this conference was planned long before Colleen made her comments as CBF moderator, in fact probably before she was even elected.

[Ed Pettibone]

Don't forget this conference was planned long before Colleen made her comments as CBF moderator, in fact probably before she was even elected.

Ed: Right you are Neal, one of Arron's links is to an ABP announcement of the conference published in May of 2011 Colleene did not become Moderator of CBF until the Assembly in Tampa in June of 2011. But had become Moderator elect at the 2010 Assembly in Charlotte .

In that story there is one quote from Gushee that for me cast a pale on the whole Idea . "Gushee said the conversation will be focused on 'how we should live as followers of Christ' and not to declare a position on any issue. To say "the conversation will be focused on 'how we should live as followers of Christ' and 'not to declare a position on any issue''. Seems to me to be an oxymoron. To be honest I really do not expect any thing positive from this conference but then I do not know any thing about any of the participants. Perhaps they will surprise me.

I am bothered a bit by the billing of this conference as " The first ever such baptist conference" which make it sound as if baptist have ignored this subject for ever. Such is not the case. Wayne Oates and Henlee Barnette where writing on the subject in the 1950s and 60's. Wallace Denton a friend and fellow Deacon at Calvary Baptist Church in W. Lafayette, Indiana was already Chair of the Child Development and Family life Department at Purdue University when we arrived in 1971. Wallace a graduate of Ouachita and SBTS and and student under Oates, and his Wife Juanita where leading Marriage enrichment seminars in a number of Baptist churches and these seminars included some very frank and open discussion on sexuality. I am inclined to think that their are probably a number of other Baptist academic types with expertise in this realm who remain unknown to most of us including Gushee.

[Big Daddy Weaver]

That's a pretty good point, Ed.

I'd say some of those marriage enrichment seminars back in the 70s share much in common with what Gushee has proposed with this sexuality conference.

In fact, there was a Christianity and Family Life conference - at least two in the 1970s that dealt with topics like divorce, dating, family planning and even homosexuality.

If this conference turns out to be predominantly about homosexuality, then yea, it's historic.

If this conference turns out as Gushee says it will turn out with a focus on a host of issue, then it's not a first-of-its-kind.