By M.H. Cavanaugh
Christian Action League
November 14, 2014
GREENSBORO – This week at their annual convention in Greensboro, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina reaffirmed its commitment to marriage as one man and one woman. The convention, which drew approximately 1800 delegates known as messengers, approved a resolution that declared their support for North Carolina’s marriage protection amendment. It also stated the history of the marriage amendment’s demise, the probability of US Supreme Court action, the commitment of Baptists to pray for the High Court’s decision, as well as their concerns for those persecuted for refusing to violate their deeply held convictions against same-sex marriage.
Garland Honeycutt, a messenger from Big Rock Creek Baptist Church in Bakersville, North Carolina, presented the resolution on the floor of the convention. Honeycutt, who is also Director of Development for the Christian Action League, said he first reached out to Pam Blume to help draft the resolution. Blume is the wife of Allan Blume, editor of the Baptist State Convention’s Journal, The Biblical Recorder and also writes some for the Christian Action League.
Honeycutt expressed to the Christian Action League that he was concerned that the resolution might not be considered by the convention because the deadline for resolution submissions had already passed. The North Carolina Baptist State Convention requires the Resolutions Committee receive ample time to consider any resolution submission and that it also be printed in the Biblical Recorder in advance of the annual meeting. However, exceptions can be made in cases of emergencies dealing with matters such as national disasters, public tragedies or late developments. An additional option allows a resolution to be brought before messengers whenever delegates of the convention by a two-thirds majority suspend the rules to consider it on the convention floor.
The resolution Baptists enthusiastically suspended their rules on the convention floor to consider and unanimously endorse reads:
Resolution Affirming God’s Institution of Marriage in North Carolina
Whereas in May 2012, 61% of North Carolinians voting approved an amendment to the state constitution declaring that the marriage of one man and one woman is the only legal domestic union in North Carolina, and
Whereas in October 2014, the U.S. District Court invalidated the constitutional amendment and all related state laws thereby recognizing the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, and
Whereas there has been a recent contradictory ruling in a federal circuit court as to the constitutionality of individual state bans on same-sex marriage, which may increase the probability of the Supreme Court of the United States reconciling conflicting circuit court decisions, therefore
Be it resolved that the messengers attending the 184th meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina exhort all believers to pray earnestly that the Supreme Court of the United States will agree to hear these conflicting cases, and affirm the authority of states to determine the definition of marriage, and
Be it further resolved that the messengers encourage and pray for those individuals who are persecuted as they refuse to violate their deeply held biblical convictions on the issue of same sex marriage, and
Be it finally resolved that the messengers affirm the biblical teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman.
Dr. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League said, “When mainline churches are falling prey to so-called gay theology, compromising Scripture and the Gospel message by abandoning sound doctrine on marriage and the family, it’s comforting to see that Baptists are currently holding firm. In every era of darkness, God always has his remnant.”
The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina is the largest religious group in the state.
