Soulforce Takes Its Campaign to the Church
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, January 10, 2008
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- (4) comments so far
On behalf of the four partner organizations [Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), and COLAGE], Soulforce Executive Director Jeff Lutes has written letters to:
* Rev. Joel Osteen and the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas
* Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas
* Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr. and Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland
* Bishop Eddie Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia
* Rev. Bill Hybels and Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois
* Dr. Rick Warren and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California
“These pastors are part of a new generation of evangelical leaders in America,” says Lutes. “We are calling on them and their congregations to demonstrate a new kind of leadership, one that models compassion and justice for all families, including families with two moms and two dads.”
The letters inform each pastor that a delegation of families with two moms and two dads, as well as supportive heterosexual-parent and single-parent families, plans to visit each church. The letters invite their congregations to collaborate in creating opportunities for meaningful conversations. Over the next several weeks, staff from Soulforce, UFMCC, NBJC, and COLAGE will negotiate peaceful forums with members from each of the congregations.
Then, over the weekends between Mother’s Day (May 11, 2008) and Father’s Day (June 15, 2008), dozens of families with children will travel by air and by bus to engage in dialogue about faith, family, and the harm done by religion-based discrimination to LGBT families.
I am sure that we will hear a lot about this in the future. More here...
FOR DISCUSSION: How would your church respond to a visit from “American Family Outing” (complete with full media coverage, of course)? What would your response be?
In the past couple years, Soulforce has taken their pro-gay ideas to Christian College campuses. Now they are taking their message to the church. Here's part of a press release from the organizations organizing what they are calling "American Family Outing"...
Comments
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Brian on Thu, January 10, 2008
This would be tough, to be sure, because while we want to communicate love, we need to take a firm stand against those things about which we have biblically-based convictions.
Acceptance of people does not mean that we need to accept their behavior.
Brian
Daniel D. Farmer on Thu, January 10, 2008
The difficulty, in my opinion, is to articulate the sense in which we believe homosexuality falls short of God’s will for his Creation, and how those of (the Church) who are called to manifest ahead of time the recreation and renewal of nature are consequently invited to leave such practices behind. Without a clear sense of the narrative import of our stance, we’re bound to come across as narrow-minded legalists.
However, our commitment to God’s story is nevertheless compatible with celebrating committed monogamy wherever we find it. We must not shirk from saying that committed monogamous gay couples present a unique challenge to the church, given our claim that heterosexual monogamy is what’s ‘best’ for human beings in sexual relationships. Those of us who experience this tension should be comfortable with saying so. In this sense, committed monogamous homosexuality is not a ‘sin’ in the same sense as, oh say beating your wife, raping children, or flying airplanes into buildings.
Our Christian stance against ‘the gay lifestyle’ is only as persuasive as we fully embrace our calling to be heralds of New Creation.
My two cents.
-Daniel-
(In case my comments above were too abstract, let me simply say that I think the Church needs to get much more serious about sexuality, and faithfulness to the practices of marital fidelity, before it can say anything persuasive about homosexuality.)
Peter Hamm on Thu, January 10, 2008
{In this sense, committed monogamous homosexuality is not a ‘sin’ in the same sense as, oh say beating your wife, raping children, or flying airplanes into buildings.}
This is what we miss in the church often. We assume that anyone who is gay is basically a pedophile who wants to corrupt our children. It just ain’t so.
I REALLY recommend reading the chapters on homosexuality in both Kimball’s “They Like Jesus but not The Church” and Kinnaman’s “UnChristian”.
T. C. Smith on Mon, January 28, 2008
No matter who shows up at our church on Sunday Morning, I would welcome them in, and show them to a seat, right where they want.
How ever, that would not be at the Pulpit.
The sermon would remain the same as was scheduled for that Sunday, it would not change for the politically correct media cameras.
If they consider that to be hatefull, then, so be it.
The alter call would be the same, “Leave your sin at the alter, and come to Christ. He is the only way, the only truth and the only forgiveness for the sinns which we all are guilty of”.
That would be that, untill they come to close our church and take me away in handcuffs.
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