Why I’m Glad We’re Having a Discussion on Sexuality

by Rev. Laura Barclay

In the conservative Southern Baptist Church in which I grew up, as well as the non-denominational Christian high school I attended, discussions of sex were taboo. The one conversation I remember about sex took place in high school health class which covered dating etiquette, then skipped straight to scaring us with slides of STDs. You can imagine how unprepared I was for life on a public school college campus.

This reality is all too common as many schools don’t follow mandatory sex education policies and churches have long been afraid to bring up any issues of sexuality in church. Because the word itself brings a host of feelings like shame and secrecy, it’s no wonder that many articles and comments about the Baptist Conference on Sexuality and Covenant are centering around LGBT issues. We who are heterosexual don’t want to discuss or admit to needing to have a comprehensive discussion in our churches about sex. It’s much easier to “other” this issue and make it a discussion solely about gays and lesbians. This conference will cover a wide range of topics in addition to LGBT issues that reflect the realities of our time, including high divorce rates, elder sexuality, delayed marriage and cohabitation of couples.

The truth is that we badly need this discussion. All churches need this discussion. Church should be a safe place where youth and young adults can come with questions that aren’t getting answered elsewhere, or are getting answered in unhealthy ways by media and uninformed peers. Youth ministers I’ve known who were brave enough to have these discussions found that their youth were willing to come to them with questions they could never feel comfortable asking parents or teachers. I wish I had access to such a place during those confusing teenage years.

And, yes, I’m going to name the elephant in the room. CBF National has a hiring policy that excludes gays and lesbians from employment. Many, including myself, don’t agree with it, but many others are comfortable with it. But guess what? This conference on Sexuality and Covenant is not to debate this policy, but to provide a starting point for discussion about a wide range of sexuality issues and we badly need a first step. We are taking that first step together, which will produce fruitful dialogue and church resources before any discussions on policy take place down the road. We are a fellowship of people who can disagree on issues and still come together for missions and ministry in the name of Christ. I’m glad to be in an environment like CBF where social issues don’t tear us apart like 21st century American political parties. We are kingdom people who cross bridges rather than dig trenches. Let’s remember that…and let’s talk.

If you'd like to be a part of the Baptist Conference on Sexuality and Covenant at First Baptist Church of Decatur, GA, on April 19-21, please register here: https://www.thefellowship.info/conference. Registration closes April 16.

My Visit to the White House

Photo courtesy of EthisDaily.com

by Rev. Dr. Larry Hovis

In late January of this year, I received a phone call from Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics, informing me of plans underway for a delegation of “Goodwill Baptist” (Parham’s umbrella term for CBF and other Baptist groups that desire to be known what we are for, rather than what we are against, and who seek to share goodwill with our neighbors) leaders to meet with White House officials in our nation’s capital on March 7, 2012. Robert was working with Ricky Creech, executive director of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention (DCBC), to make the arrangements. A written invitation came in early February (along with security clearance forms to be completed and returned), with instructions to retain the confidentiality of the invitation for the moment. Later, we were given permission to share information about the event and I informed the CBFNC Coordinating Council of this possibility during our regular monthly conference call.

The Big Day began with our group of sixty Baptist leaders (mostly pastors, plus a few organizational leaders) meeting in the DCBC Building for a light breakfast and instructions. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know what to expect. Most of us were comfortable in religious and non-profit board rooms and speaking before hundreds, or even thousands, but we were obviously nervous about what would be a completely new experience for almost all of us.

We boarded a charter bus and were deposited beside a chain link fence where we went through the first of two security checkpoints. After being allowed to pass through the gate, we came before a huge set of steps leading up to what we learned was the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building (located next the West Wing) which houses a majority of offices for White House staff. Turns out, when you visit the White House for most business with officials of the Executive Branch of our federal government, you don’t go to the White House at all, but the Eisenhower Building! After climbing the exterior steps, we entered the vestibule of the building, went through another security checkpoint, were issued badges, and then were instructed to climb more stairs to the fourth floor to a specified conference room and wait until the meeting began.

The Agenda:

Our visit was arranged, coordinated and led by Paul Monteiro, Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Our meeting resulted from the cultivation of a relationship between Monteiro and Creech. After opening words from Creech, Parham and Monteiro, the bulk of our three hour block of time followed a common sequence. First, we were “briefed” by a representative of numerous Administration offices or departments who work on issues Monteiro believed would be of interest to Baptist leaders. After these presentations, our group was given a few minutes to ask questions or make comments. Then another Administration official would come in and the cycle would repeat itself. The ratio of our listening to the officials to our responding to the officials was about 3:1, so only a small minority of our group had a chance to speak.

The topics on which were briefed included human trafficking, the environment, the Hispanic community, consumer financial protection, immigration, emergency disaster response, and the mortgage crisis. Many of those making presentations were the persons in their respective offices or departments who had responsibilities for relating to faith-based communities. A powerful moment for me came when, after the briefing on immigration, Parham presented Felicia Escobar, Senior Policy Advisor, with a copy of the new Common English Bible, which translates the Hebrew word, “ger,” as immigrant (other versions of the Bible use words like alien, foreigner, sojourner or stranger).

Conclusions:

First, not only is a visit to the “White House” not a visit to where the First Family lives, it rarely includes the President of the United States (he was in North Carolina that day). Some in our group were disappointed that we didn’t get to meet the president, though I never thought that was very likely.

Second, the Obama administration, building on the groundwork laid by the Bush administration, is taking very seriously their engagement with faith-based communities. I learned that the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships actually coordinates 12 Federal Centers for Faith-based and Community Initiatives, which forms partnerships between a federal agency and faith-based and neighborhood organizations to advance specific goals, connecting that agency to the community at the most grassroots level

Third, while it was somewhat disappointing that our exchange focused more on programs rather than policies, and we had little opportunity to address the moral or social aspects of issues important to our Baptist faith communities, the presentations did help us learn about specific ways the federal government is trying to address real human needs that are critical to our communities.

Fourth, our visit to the White House put a human face on our federal government. Before, government “bureaucrats” were nameless, faceless functionaries with whom I had no relationship, and I would never have thought to contact them. Now, I see them as real people who have a real desire to serve others. I would not hesitate to contact the officials we met or others like them, to solicit their help or share my opinions about important issues. We were given contact information for all those we encountered, and upon returning from my trip, I visited the White House website to learn more about the various agencies and those who staff them. Now, I will definitely communicate with the appropriate White House offices if the need arises.

Finally, as a firm believer in the separation of church and state, I am still somewhat uncomfortable relating to government officials, especially politically appointees. However (and my “duplicity rader” was on full power), I never felt as if those who spoke to us were being disingenuous or using us for political advantage. They all seemed to be genuine public servants with a sincere desire to make a positive difference in our nation and world.

If nothing else, after visiting the highest levels of the greatest kingdom on earth, I’m in a much better position to pray not only for these specific leaders, but also to pray as Jesus instructed, “Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.”