New Baptist Covenant Moving Toward Acceptance of Gays

A group of Baptists (including some Southern Baptists), led by former president Jimmy Carter, has formed an organization call the New Baptist Covenant with the goal of moderating the harsh, right wing message so often associated with Baptists. While not openly embracing GLBT people at their first meeting, the topic of acceptance was discussed without a major fight breaking out.

Here is an excerpt from a letter published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution co-written by the director and council chair of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. I have learned that the most effective way to move toward unity and acceptance is to establish commonality, and these folks feel that progress was made toward that with the New Covenant.

Some Baptists have spent their energy attacking gays and keeping them outside of the church. In so doing, they have demonstrated that unity among Baptists is not their main goal. We, however, feel differently. Rather than focusing on exclusion, we are spending our energy on graceful engagement from within. And we are seeing very good results. At the New Baptist Covenant gathering, we witnessed abundant signs of hope.

During the three-day event, former President Carter noted that Baptists hold diverse opinions about gay people. Best-selling novelist John Grisham called for the church's inclusion of gay people. Rev. Tony Campolo wore a rainbow-colored stole. Hundreds of participants sported rainbow stickers to proudly reveal their support for gay people.

Carter announced that Baptists hold diverse opinions about gay people; yet the celebration proved that Baptists are not as divided as some may believe. Each and every Sunday, countless numbers of our gay and straight brothers and sisters stand side by side in celebration of our faith. Regardless of who we love, we are all seeking the same things: Christ's love, salvation, justice, peace and hospitality.

Click here to read the rest of the letter.