What kind of “Baptists” are these? There are several groups using the word.
That was my next question. If these are Southern Baptist pastors representing the viewpoint of their congregations . .those churches should be dropped as members of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Not Southern Baptists.
There is a pretty wide range of Baptists. My church is (conservative) Southern Baptist, never to be mistaken for, say, the (lunatic) Westboro Baptist Church. Yikes.
Doesn’t give names or churches. Could be individual lay baptists, or liars. I’ve met “baptists” who haven’t set foot in a church in decades.
“The Rev. Mark Johnson of Central Baptist Church in Lexington said, “I want you to know there are Baptists standing here with me.”
http://m.state-journal.com/2016/09/12/clergy-call-for-finding-high-ground-on-kentucky-capitol-steps/
In 40+ years, I’ve never met a Baptist Reverend, but the church website describes itself as “A loving, healthy & progressive gathering of Christians”.
“Mark is the Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church. He holds degrees from the University of Kentucky, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Lexington Theological Seminary. He is an Adjunct Professor with the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky.”
“During the early to mid-1990s a confluence of events led a number of Kentucky Baptists to seek new and inventive ways of training ministers that reflected the diversity of Baptist identity and worship in the Commonwealth and took into account shifting cultural realities. These events included:
changes in the theological direction and leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention, Kentucky Baptist Convention, and Southern Baptist seminaries;
the formation of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship; and
the creation of new Baptist theological schools and houses of study in the South.”
Then there is:
“Rev. Charles Conkin
Associate Pastor
Charles is the Associate Pastor of Central Baptist Church. Charles has been a part of the pastoral staff since 2013. He brings a fresh perspective to the issues of many progressive Baptist congregations.”
In essence, the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship is a group of liberal baptists who broke from the SBC. Good luck finding out what they believe, but part of their “imagining” of Jesus seems to include homosexual marriage, divorce, women pastors, labor unions, government child care, etc.
And even more 'Presbyterians'.