Sandy in rep;y to William: " He got a lot of criticism for his stance on the hiring of gays and lesbians, and from the "progressive" side of CBF. There was a big controversy stirred up around a general assembly meeting at which John Killinger, a Presbyterian pastor, made a series of presentations in breakout sessions which seemed to deny the deity of Christ and led to his having to respond to accusations that CBF wasn't "Christian." And I believe it was during Vestal's tenure that the Baptist Peace Fellowship was defunded.
Ed: "And Sandy what do you understand Danial's "stance on the hiring of gays and lesbians" was then and is now? It so happens that I am one of the people who was disappointed in Killinger's presentations that year, but I would remind all, Dan Vestal, was not the Chair of the Program committee. Nor do I believe he was responsible for the defunding of Baptist Peace Fellowship."
Sandy: Vestal openly addressed CBF's policy against hiring gays and lesbians, and stated his support for that position more than once. His perspective, which he claimed was consistent with a Biblical one, is on the record. Whether it is different now has no bearing on the discussion, because it was something he was criticized for when he was executive coordinator of CBF. And yeah, he wasn't chair of the program committee, and I think Killinger probably took a lot of people, including committee members, by surprise but the buck stopped on Vestal's desk, and he got criticism for it, whether justified or not, doesn't matter.
It was actually Sherman who led the effort to defund the BPFNA, but Vestal, while loosening the policy somewhat on a few things, supported it, and took his lumps from the left for it.
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Ed: You do seem to have an accurate understanding of Vestals position on CBF's initial hiring policy. and I haven't heard or seen any evidence that Danial has changed his position any more than I have. BTW, I was at the the Assembly you speak of concerning Killinger and I believe that when you say " There was a big controversy stirred up around a general assembly meeting at which John Killinger, a Presbyterian pastor, made a series of presentations in breakout sessions which seemed to deny the deity of Christ and led to his having to respond to accusations that CBF wasn't "Christian", you exaggerate the extent of any controversy generated around that General Assembly by Killingers presentations.