I’m still processing the Baptist Conference on Sexuality and Covenant (BCSC). For many, this will go down in CBF history as one of the top spiritual/religious experiences ever offered.
Over the two and half days, there were 7 Plenary speakers, covenant groups that met several times for conversation and sharing following the presentations, silence following each plenary for silent meditation, a very moving concert, and a lot of informal sharing and late night reflecting.
There were no discussions about politics, no votes, no moves to change CBF policy, no coercion by anyone to accept or agree. This was a time to listen, reflect, learn, and explore a series of DIFFICULT and controversial topics. At times we were affirmed, stretched, comforted, uncomfortable, challenged, and blessed!
Each of the plenary presentations was excellent. The talks are on line at http://www.thefellowship.info/conference. Take some time to listen and reflect. Check out the Twitter feed under the tag #sexandcovenant. Some of these talks will make you uncomfortable; some will make you think; some you will disagree with. But, take the time, you WILL be inspired. And, proud to be a part of a fellowship of free and faithful Baptists!
Topics for the event were very broad; the idea of covenant was an overarching theme and woven into each speech. The quality and diversity of the voices presented was wonderful.
This was a courageous moment for many of us. I’m a better person for participating, for conversing. I’m a richer Christian for listening to understand and sharing to be understood. I’m grateful to God for such a time as this!
Thanks for the summation and links. The SBC folks who predicted a disaster were more then wrong, it seems!
CBF, thank you for putting on the conference last week. No doubt it was stressful and possibly fearful waters for you to enter under the banner of CBF. Also, no doubt there will be ripples of conversation (good and bad) to follow. I, however, am proud of CBF for pulling back the veneer of peace and monolithic thought that is projected and at least begin to reveal the reality of the world we attempt to minister. This veneer has led us to believe, or at least hope, everyone in our congregation is a heterosexual person with the goal of marriage. Life experience though begins to peel back this faux belief as we are honest enough to realize the diversity of sexual orientation, ethic, and practice found not only in our world, but in our pews.
As a pastor I can preach scripture and tradition from the safety of my pulpit, but as a neighbor (and as a person) I lose my ability to describe a clean homogeneous world. I meet my neighbor who is in a life-long committed same-sex relationship and is one of the best followers of Jesus Christ I know. I engage another neighbor who asks me why after he finally developed the nerve to come out to his mother, her only response was, “that’s fine as long as you know you are going to hell.” Or, the growing population of young Christian adults in my community and church who live together with no immediate plans of marriage.
Is there still a tension between the pulpit, the pew, and the pavement? There is for me. Everyone will have opinions on what could have been done or not been done last week, but you are respected for the well planned, well executed, event/conversation that was employed. I do not know where we go from here, but I am grateful you at least made it so we can not put the veneer back on…now we must just live in the tension and that is ok.
Thanks for putting this conference together. Even though I was unable to attend it makes me proud to be associated with a group of believers willing to face the tough issues. I’m even commending this to my congregation this Sunday. An excerpt from my next sermon:
“Controversial? You bet! But the church, as I’ve just illustrated, has faced controversy before and has always come out stronger for having faced it. That is one of the reasons I’m glad we partner with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship because far from acting with an arrogant certitude, Fellowship Christians, for the most part are thoughtful Baptist people, willing to engage both the Scriptures and one another in meaningful dialogue as evidenced recently by the just concluded Baptist Conference on Sexuality and Covenant.”