A [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenant is April 19-21 at FBC Decatur, GA.  The following is an excerpt from one of many plenary presentations offered at the Conference.  We hope you’ll join us for the full presentation!

“Discernment is the process of sorting out the voice of God from among the voices competing for our attention and indeed for our allegiance. It is very hard work. It must be done in Christian community because none of us can trust ourselves to hear a word that will cost us something. We always prefer to hear from God confirmation for our previously arrived at conclusions and commitments. Because of that preference, the community of discernment must include advocates of the various voices clamoring to be heard. But those advocates must be surrendered Christians—people who ultimately prefer God’s voice to their own. Discernment cannot happen without surrender, mutual love—a love that is deeper than mere politeness — and transparency. All those requirements are the reasons that we Baptists prefer democracy to discernment. Democracy requires nothing but campaigning, attacks on opponents, voting, and disputing the vote count. But democracy reveals only the will of the majority. Discernment aims at the will of God.”

For more information about A [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenant, visit www.thefellowship.info/conference.  Consistent with the values, vision, and mission of CBF, this Conference seeks to resource Christians and churches as they seek to be the presence of Christ in their community and around the world.  Excerpts are pulled directly from presenter manuscripts and represent only the perspective of the individual expressing them.