Posted on 07/03/2014 2:15:26 PM PDT by Faith Presses On
A Baptist congregation in Kentucky has garnered national headlines for its intention to hold a gay wedding at its facility, despite most of their fellow Baptist churches' disapproval.
Highland Baptist Church of Louisville recently announced their intention to hold a same-sex wedding for David Bannister Jr., 29, and Steven Carr, 25. It is scheduled for next May.
Joseph Phelps, pastor at Highland Baptist, told The Christian Post that the gay couple "have been active and faithful members of the congregation for over five years."
"Our deacons concluded that conscience would not allow us to welcome gay and lesbian members as full members of our congregation … without also granting them both the responsibilities and rights of all our other members," said Phelps.
Highland Baptist is officially affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship.
The Rev. Laura Barclay, spokeswoman with the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, told CP that her organization does not have an official position on gay marriage.
Joseph Phelps, pastor at Highland Baptist, told The Christian Post that the gay couple "have been active and faithful members of the congregation for over five years."
"Our deacons concluded that conscience would not allow us to welcome gay and lesbian members as full members of our congregation … without also granting them both the responsibilities and rights of all our other members," said Phelps.
Highland Baptist is officially affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianpost.com ...
From the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship web site:
"5. How many KBF cooperating churches are there?
Currently there are between 75 and 100 churches that cooperate with KBF in varying degrees. Some churches support KBF/CBF totally; others are dually aligned, sending some funds to KBF/CBF and others to KBC/SBC. Besides these churches, there are also many individuals who support the KBF although they may be members of churches who do not support KBF."
Phelps? Did I just read the name Phelps?
Essentially, Kentucky Baptist Fellowship includes both CBF and CBF/Southern Baptist-supporting churches. I can’t understand why the SBC wouldn’t tell churches that they have to either support them and them only, or go to the CBF. There is no having it both ways with the Lord.
So that's the new requirement to violate God's Word? A longtime church membership gets a pass to violate the sanctions of Biblical marriage? Apparently so at HBC.
Notice, the deacons and the pastor did not once mention scripture. They did what they wanted creating their own right and wrong. The bible describes this.
Are they holding a “gay” (happy, joyous, etc) wedding or just another queer event?
"have been active and faithful members of the congregation for over five years."Epic Fail
“Our deacons concluded that conscience would not allow us to welcome gay and lesbian members as full members of our congregation … without also granting them both the responsibilities and rights of all our other members,” said Phelps... News of the wedding at Highland Baptist came around the same time as a ruling by a U.S. District Court declaring Kentucky’s state marriage amendment unconstitutional.”
Well, I suppose the gay members must indeed be grateful Highland Baptist finally had the state decide they should be treated as full members. What a way to blaze a trail there, truly impressive.
Freegards
Highland Baptist steps up and denies God..
At least they are being honest in their intentions.
“Joseph Phelps, pastor at Highland Baptist, told The Christian Post that the gay couple “have been active and faithful members of the congregation for over five years.”
That is faithful to that Church or Church building. Since they have not repented from their sin of sodomy they certainly are not being faithful to God........
Apparently nobody in this church has ever read Chapter 5 of 1st Corinthians.
I know that for my pastor, he would not be willing to marry a couple that had been living together and sharing a bed prior to getting married.
I admit I don’t know a lot about how the Baptist churches are affiliated, but it seems shocking to see anything “Baptist” and “gay wedding” in the same sentence.
I know that for my pastor, he would not be willing to marry a couple that had been living together and sharing a bed prior to getting married.
This, I don’t understand. They’re living in sin. Now, they no longer want to live in sin, and the pastor won’t make it official?
We are being sold out from top to bottom. Don't follow religion, only the bible.
We are being sold out from top to bottom. Don't follow religion, only the bible.
The proper way is to back out, separate their living arrangements, stop having sexual relations, break soul ties, and go through counseling. It’s called ‘repentance’.
Obviously the Bible is not the standard of their faith. Might as well use Penthouse or Playboy.
Amen, amen.
Precisely. They certainly do not believe they are living in sin. If a conviction of sin entered into the matter at all it would require the end of their sodomizing relationship. They, rather, prefer to give their sin a sacred blessing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.