• Baptists:  We will not recognize same-sex ‘marriages’

    Defending Marriage Staff - June 18, 2015


    At a recent meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Columbus, Ohio; the past and present Presidents of the convention signed a statement on marriage, promising to “not recognize same-sex ‘marriages’” if the Supreme Court rules the wrong way. Here is the statement, signed by SBC Pres. Ronnie Floyd as well as 16 former presidents:

    “As Southern Baptist Christians, we are committed to Biblical faith and ethics. As a result, this body of Believers stands on the authority of Scripture and God’s Truth as central to our lives.

    “What the Bible says about marriage is clear, definitive and unchanging. We affirm biblical, traditional, natural marriage as the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The Scriptures’ teaching on marriage is not negotiable. We stake our lives upon the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

    “Consequently, we will not accept, nor adhere to, any legal redefinition of marriage issued by any political or judicial body including the United States Supreme Court. We will not recognize same-sex “marriages”, our churches will not host same-sex ceremonies, and we will not perform such ceremonies.

    “While we affirm our love for all people, including those struggling with same-sex attraction, we cannot and will not affirm the moral acceptability of homosexual behavior or any behavior that deviates from God’s design for marriage. We also believe religious freedom is at stake within this critical issue – that our first duty is to love and obey God, not man.

    “Therefore, we strongly encourage all Southern Baptist pastors, leaders, educators, and churches to openly reject any mandated legal definition of marriage and to use their influence to affirm God’s design for life and relationships. As the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination with over 16 million members, we stake our very lives and future on the Truth of God’s Word.

    “We also join together to support those who stand for natural marriage in the corporate world, the marketplace, education, entertainment, media and elsewhere with our prayers and influence, and resources.”

    Respectfully,

    Dr. Bailey E. Smith SBC President: 1981, 1982

    Dr. Morris H. Chapman SBC President: 1991, 1992

    Dr. James T. Draper, Jr. SBC President: 1983, 1984

    Dr. Charles F. Stanley SBC President: 1985, 1986

    Dr. Jerry Vines SBC President: 1989, 1990

    Dr. H. Edwin Young SBC President: 1993, 1994

    Dr. James B. Henry SBC President: 1995, 1996

    Dr. Tom Elliff SBC President: 1997, 1998

    Dr. Paige Patterson SBC President: 1999, 2000

    Dr. James Merritt SBC President: 2001, 2002

    Dr. Jack Graham SBC President: 2003, 2004

    Dr. Bobby Welch SBC President: 2005, 2006

    Dr. Frank S. Page SBC President: 2007, 2008

    Dr. Johnny M. Hunt SBC President: 2009, 2010

    Dr. Bryant Wright SBC President: 2011, 2012

    Dr. Fred Luter SBC President: 2013, 2014

    Dr. Ronnie Floyd SBC President 2015

  • About the author: Defending Marriage Staff

    Defending Marriage is a ministry of Hope Baptist Church that documents the breaking news, tracks the persecution and provides the biblical arguments surrounding the debate over the definition of marriage. You can sign up for email updates from Defending Marriage here.