Baptist Church Affirms Gays & Lesbians...

[keltic63]

is removed from Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. story here

Myers Park To Challenge Messenger Seating

By Norman Jameson

BR Editor



The Executive Committee ruled Monday morning that Myers Park Baptist Church is not "in friendly cooperation with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina."

Myers Park will challenge that finding at the BSC annual meeting Tuesday morning in Greensboro.
Myers Park is affiliated with several groups that "welcome and affirm" homosexuals as members and in leadership.
They wrote a letter to the Baptist State Convention in January declaring both that fact and their intent to stay affiliated with the Baptist State Convention.

Myers Park
Pastor
Steve Shoemaker

here's another blogger's article about it

and one more (where I found out about it)

Who can stand in the presence of God? Who will oppose and hinder God?

[Progo35]

That's too bad that the Convention and this church couldn't continue learning from each other. I'm curious to learn more about why the convention did what it did and what actions it took toward mediation prior to this. That's nice to see the Baptist church being open to different scriptural interpretations, which I don't feel condones or condemns homosexuality: they are, as their pastor said, inviting LGBT people to worship and follow Jesus with them.

[paul]

Wow, gay Baptists? what'll they think of next.

[pnggrad79]

I wrote to the pastor and he wrote right back. He seems to be a great guy. Write to him, guys, he is a nice man and seems to be genuinely concerned with gay people and their rights. A step in the right direction.

[AJLove]

How can I write him? does he have an e-mail address.

[scott snedeker]

Originally Posted by AJLove

How can I write him? does he have an e-mail address.

sshoemaker@mpbconline.org

[labguy22]

My family is Missionary Baptist and since dealing with me being gay, has seen how horribly GLBT peoples are spoken of in their church. In fact they recently moved churches because of the extreme hatred that they saw towards our community.
If people seek the truth, they will find it. I agree with Scott that people can evolve and change for the better. If hatred can be replaced by kindness then we are certainly on the right path.

[BruceChris]

I was attending University Baptist Church a few years ago, church shopping. (They're members of the American Baptist Church convention, not Southern, ELCA, Missionary, or Missouri Synod) They are open to GLBT folks, gay positive, and while I was there the minister was Nadean Bishop, now retired, an out lesbian.

At the time she had an intern, from a local seminary, who was also a *friend of Dorothy*. As she went up front to give the sermon, she was dressed up in all of the ceremonial vestements. As she passed close to me, I heard her whisper to a friend, "To think that one of my goals in life was to get OUT of wearing a dress!"

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris