The Southern Baptist Convention ousts churches because pastors were on the registry
Shame on the Southern Baptist Convention for kicking out two of its affiliates because they employed pastors who were on the registry!
According to ABC News, West Side Baptist Church in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, was ousted because it “knowingly employs as pastor a registered sex offender,” and Antioch Baptist Church in Sevierville, Tennessee, has a pastor who was convicted of statutory rape.
The pastor at West Side Baptist Church had a conviction from 1993, which they disclosed on their website, stating, “Over 29 years ago Pastor David lived as a great sinner and rebel,” the site says. “But Christ Jesus is a great Savior! Today Pastor David has gone from disgrace to amazing grace and now has served the Lord Jesus Christ at West Side for 18 years.” The pastor at Antioch Baptist Church had an offense from 1994,
What kind of a lesson does the SBC teach to its congregants by this action? That there is no hope for salvation? That if you sin, you might as well go on sinning because no level of repentance will ever earn you acceptance?
Despite the shameful action of the SBC, our support and congratulations go out to the two pastors who were able to turn their lives around, become better persons and live a meaningful life serving others.
As an important side note, the SBC also ousted two other churches because they were too welcoming of LGBTQ congregants. Totally shameful!
If anyone would like to contact the Southern Baptist Convention you can do so by writing to: [email protected]
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What if a sex offender wants to attend your church?
https://baptistnews.com/article/what-should-you-do-if-a-sex-offender-wants-to-attend-your-church/#.YSwxsSX3aEc
Jacob
Every church that I have attended was a big church. I went to services but never got involved in extended activities and was just a face in crowd. It is when you attend smaller “Gossipy” churches or get involved in after church activities where people start wanting to know all your business.
Some of the things in the article were disturbing. I mean I have seen former murders get asked up on stage to give their testimony and people clap and give standing ovations. If you did that with an ex sex offender, the church would burn to the ground from an instant bolt of lightning according to some in attendance.
I bet Ron and Lauren Books are rejoicing…..
For an organization that professes to follow Christ it has to make one wonder… When Christ has said, Matthew 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.” and The Pharisees of his day said things like Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
And then again, so much for the transforming us into a new creation, 2n Corinthians 5:17 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
Feel free to remind them of all this if you write to them as i intend to. Obviously profession is one thing and living it out is very much another.
Glad I’m not Baptist, but then there’s a lot of professing people who shun us like the plague. Make me thing of Doc Holiday’s line from Tombstone about hypocrisy knowing no bounds…
This is the Southern Baptist Convention and does not speak for all Baptists. You’ll find that there are many independent Baptist churches who do not share the Convention’s views on many topics.
“What kind of a lesson does the SBC teach to its congregants by this action? That there is no hope for salvation? That if you sin, you might as well go on sinning because no level of repentance will ever earn you acceptance?”
This is EXACTLY what the message they are conveying. I’ve had several arguments on social media with “Christians” who leave very vile comments on any posted articles about sex offenses. They literally have said they pick and choose who to forgive. This is not the main reason I got away from religion but it’s up there in the top 5 reasons.
Yeah, but you might remind them of the passages I cited above and James 2:13 For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Sad indeed…
I am so glad that true Salvation comes from God and not man and that His grace and mercy embraces all repenting hearts.
“… convicted of statutory rape.”
In simpler, less violent sounding terms; Had a consensual relationship with someone that was not too far under the age of consent but was not of the age of consent.
They need to change that damn wording from “statutory rape” to something like “sexual misconduct” because that’s exactly what it is.
Or get Elvis Presley the hell out of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and off the cover of Time Magazine every year!!