Boy Scouts of America: Why the Proposed Policy Change Matters

We strongly support the Boy Scouts of America current prohibition on open homosexuality and retaining it without revision. Nearly 70 percent of BSA troops are hosted by churches and religious institutions. Upholding traditional morality is vital for sustaining this partnership, for protecting Scout members, and for ensuring BSA has a strong future. A proposal from the BSA board to prohibit “discrimination” based on “sexual orientation or preference” for BSA members potentially would open the Scouts to a wide range of open sexual expressions. In our current culture, it’s more important than ever for our churches to protect and provide moral nurture for young people and for the Scouts. We implore members of the upcoming BSA Council to affirm the BSA’s present policy, which the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed, and which has served BSA well.

Sara L. Anderson
Executive Vice President
Bristol House, Ltd. (United Methodist)

The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
Chief Operating & Development Officer
American Anglican Council

Dr. Robert D. Benne (Lutheran)
Jordan Trexler Professor Emeritus
and Research Associate
Religion and Philosophy, Roanoke College

Dr. Robert H. Blackburn
Past Chairman, National Association of Covenanting Congregations

The Rev. Sue Cyre
Executive Director of Presbyterians for Faith, Family and Ministry (PFFM)

The Rev. Charles Huckaby
Dean, Western Classis of the Calvin Synod Conference United Church of Christ Term 2010– 2013

Senator Patricia Miller
Executive Director, Confessing Movement (United Methodist)

The Rev. Dr. Mary Holder Naegeli
Minister-at-Large, San Francisco Presbytery; Moderator of the Presbyterian Coalition

Rev. Kevin C. Rudolph
National Covenant Association of Churches
Windwood Presbyterian Church
Houston, TX

The Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Schumacher
Executive Director, American Lutheran Publicity Bureau

The Rev. Paul Stallsworth
President, Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality

David M. Stanley
Director, Institute on Religion and Democracy
Chairman, United Methodist Action Steering Committee
Co-Chair, REVIVE! (Iowa United Methodist renewal)

The Rev. Dr. David Wendel, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism
The North American Lutheran Church

Dr. George O. Wood
General Superintendent
General Council of the Assemblies of God

This story was posted last Friday on FR, but the STATEMENT was unavailable until now. While it is very good news, one cannot help but notice, with the exception of the LC-MS president, most of the other signatories are from very small denominations or individual parishes. As near as I can tell, BSA National has been stroking the larger denominations to either agree with the membership standards resolution (i.e., allow open homosexual youths as members into BSA) or not to withdraw their support of BSA should the resolution pass.

What the landscape currently looks like with the top 6 denominations which charter the most number of scouts and units ...

1. LDS - Church leadership released a letter saying that LDS delegates to the annual National Council business meeting (starts 5/23/2013) are directed to "vote their conscience." There appears to be massive discord within the LDS Church right now over the issue of homosexuality. The church took a beating, from the inside and outside, for aggressively supporting Prop 8 in CA. Since then, the church has backed away from financially supporting heterosexual marriage causes for several reasons: (1) fear that it will hurt their young men when they go out on their 2-year missions, (2) the church wants to be more welcoming to its members who are afflicted with same-sex attraction, and (3) it did not want to harm Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

2. UMC - This denomination is in turmoil. While the conservatives have the upper hand for the moment, schism is a very real possibility over the issue of acceptance of homosexuality. So far, the leaders of the UMC have not released a strong statement regarding the BSA resolution.

3. RCC - Its National Committee on Catholic Scouting released its statement last week. It could have been stronger. It appears that the RCC will take a wait and see approach.

4. Lutheran - Several flavors of Lutherans - The largest, the ELCA, and the 2nd largest, the LC-MS, are probably at odds over this resolution. The ELCA ordains open homosexuals - the LC-MS does not. Haven't seen an official statement from the ELCA, yet.

5. Presybterian - Same thing, several flavors of Presbyterians. The largest, the PCUSA, ordains open homosexuals, so 1 would think they will support the resolution.

6. Baptists - Same thing - many flavors of Baptists. The overwhelmingly largest denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, has steadfastly made it known that it opposes the resolution and would likely withdraw from the BSA should the resolution pass.

The pattern across the nation seems to be that the ~294 local councils have held their executive board meetings over the last 4 weeks to decide how their delegates will vote at the annual National Council business meeting.

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