Press release and text of letter from
University Baptist Church in Austin

PRESS NOTICE
For release August 20, 2001

By unanimous vote at regular church conference on August 15, 2001, members of
the University Baptist Church of Austin, Texas voted to withdraw from the
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship because of the decision of the CBF
Coordinating Council, sustained by its membership, to discriminate against
gay and lesbian persons.  In a letter to Dr. Daniel Vestal, Coordinator of
the CBF and to the Coordinating Council, the church declared, "we cannot in
good conscience support an organization which discriminates against our
brothers and sisters in Christ on the basis of their orientation any more
than we could do so if the CBF discriminated on the basis of race or gender."


The letter also inquired about the reasoning and timing behind the decision
to make homosexuality the only "moral issue" included in its policy of hiring
and support.  Moreover, the church reflected on the undemocratic process by
which the decision was made by an elite ruling council, putting pressure on
the membership not only to respond to their decision but to affirm or
disaffirm their leadership in doing so.  

On the other hand, the church expressed a sadness that the CBF had not led
Baptists by responding in a Baptist way to the question of how the church
should minister with gays and lesbians by trusting the work of God's Spirit
through soul competency and the autonomy of the local church in a continuing
dialogue which would eventually lead us to the truth.  Instead, the church
expressed regret that the CBF Coordinating Council chose political expediency
instead.  "We most deeply regret," the letter went on to say, "the condemning
message you have sent in the name of Christ to all gay and lesbian persons by
your action."

University Baptist Church is a 400 member congregation across from the
University of Texas Campus and active in a variety of Christian ministries
including homeless shelter and hunger feeding programs.  The church was
disfellowshipped by the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of
Texas in February 1998 because of its ministries with gays and lesbians and
their families.  The church is also a member of the American Baptist
Churches, U.S.A.

The letter, signed by the Senior Pastor, Moderator, and Chair of the
Diaconate in behalf of the people of University Baptist Church, expressed to
Dr. Vestal and the Coordinating Council that it had come to this decision
"regretfully" and concluded, "We pray God's blessings and guidance upon our
brothers and sisters in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and encourage you
to listen to the voices of dissent among you in days to come.  We look
forward to a day when all Baptists, including gay and lesbian Baptists, will
feel welcome at the Lord's table and in the decision making councils of our
common Baptist life."

A full copy of the letter is attached (below).  Further inquiries may be made at
University Baptist Church, (512) 478-8559.

_August 16, 2001

Dr. Daniel Vestal, Coordinator, and Coordinating Council
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
P.O. Box 450329
Atlanta, GA 31145-0329

Dr. Vestal and Coordinating Council Members:

In regular church conference on August 15, 2001, the members of the University Baptist Church of Austin, Texas, voted regretfully to withdraw from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship because of the decision of the Coordinating Council, sustained by the CBF membership, to discriminate against persons on the basis of their orientation.

We wonder, why weren’t all supporting CBF churches informed of this proposal before a decision was made? Why is "homosexual practice" (sic) the only behavior listed as a basis of discrimination by the CBF policy? We can see no other reason than Baptist denominational politics for the timing, process, and content of this decision.

Members of our church were present when the CBF was formed and remember the common desire to strive towards a more Baptist, grass-roots democratic way of doing cooperative ministries. The recent decision by the Coordinating Council feels like the top-down controlling politics we experienced in the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Without widespread, open conversation the executive leadership made a political decision affecting theological identity, and then required the membership to affirm or disaffirm its leadership in relation to the decision. These are the same undemocratic political tactics that were used against our congregation by the "moderate" leaders in Texas.

The CBF missed the opportunity to lead all Baptists on this issue by trusting soul competency and church autonomy to allow free Baptists to decide according to a Spirit-guided conscience. Then, gathering respected theologians, biblical scholars, scientists, and ethicists, as well as gay and lesbian Baptist Christians, to continue in dialogue about one of the most significant issues of our day, the CBF conversation would have guided us from behind our embattled polarized positions to a middle ground of vulnerable, open, and continual seeking after God’s truth. We regret that the CBF Coordinating Council chose political expediency instead. We most deeply regret the condemning message you have sent in the name of Christ to all gay and lesbian persons by your action.

Because it is God’s call for our congregation to minister with gay and lesbian Baptist Christians and their families, we cannot in good conscience support an organization which discriminates against our brothers and sisters in Christ on the basis of their orientation any more than we could do so if the CBF discriminated on the basis of race or gender. Nevertheless, we pray God’s blessings and guidance upon our brothers and sisters in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and encourage you to listen to the voices of dissent among you in days to come. We look forward to a day when all Baptists, including gay and lesbian Baptists, will feel welcome at the Lord’s table and in the decision making councils of our common Baptist life.

Sincerely,

Larry Bethune, Senior Pastor;
Ellen Bell, Moderator;
Anthony Chapple, Chair, Diaconate




Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend